All That's Left Behind
by Final Hikari
Summary: Genesis Rhapsodos was hesitant to abandon his old life upon joining SOLDIER. When the degradation began he promised himself he wouldn’t involve the last person he longed to protect.
1. Prologue

Final Hikari: -enters auditorium stage and stands in front of microphone with Genesis and Cloud- Attention all readers and fic characters! Hello all FFVII characters and readers! This is my first Final Fantasy VII fic. I've been on nearly a year now but in the smaller RPG communities, so--

-spotlight slides off stage and strays into crowd-

Final Hikari: …

Random Person in Crowd: -cough- -cough-

-spot light lands on Aerith-

Zack: -leans out from behind curtain to wave-

Aerith: -blushes, waves back embarrassedly-

Final Hikari: -.- Zack, you're supposed to keep the spotlight on me!

Zack: Er, right! -moves light-

Cloud: That was getting to be too much of an autobiography for one disclaimer anyway.

Final Hikari: -light back in place- Right! Any questions?

Random Member: -raises hand-

Final Hikari: Yes?

Random Member: If this is a Genesis fic, why do you have Cloud with you?

Final Hikari: Well…

Genesis: -leans over and grabs microphone- She has over 180 pictures of the freak! What do you expect in the disclaimers?

Cloud: -.-

Final Hikari: -exhales loudly- Well, why you have the microphone do the disclaimer!

Genesis: -scans crowd, looking bored- Final Hikari doesn't own anything Final Fantasy. Technically, the very laptop she types on was a present, the album she's about to put on is a bootleg from an eBay seller, and the iPod she'll be using is only-

Final Hikari: -grabs microphone- Enough! And for the readers, please enjoy the story!

All That's Left Behind

Prologue

Like Last Time

Banora village had been chosen for its seclusion as the ideal location to keep the pasts of certain individuals a secret. It lacked the bustle of cities like Midgar and created many distractions from the modern world with its location near the coast. A prime example of this was that the area's main export; a type of apple called Banora Whites, or as the locals dubbed them, dumbapples.

The exporting of the apples was controlled by the town's landlord and his family. Their home was on the top of a hill, surrounded by the infamous apples. Despite the size of the mansion, Rhapsodos Manor didn't have many inhabitants. The family of three was seldom present at the same time. The only unusual guest was a girl they'd taken in since her parents had been reported missing by the rising Shinra Electric Power Company.

Genesis Rhapsodos looked over his book to see her leaning against the windowsill, gazing out the window with a curious expression. He looked over her head and out the open window the see the figures of a few local children climbing over the gate. She fidgeted slightly, biting her lower lip.

_The dumbapples are in bloom…_ he thought randomly, _looks like_ _somebody's out there stealing them…_

He wouldn't have been so aware of her actions if it weren't for recent disappearances of her parents. She had other family but none were local and acted reluctant to take her as their responsibility. She was much younger than him and had been distinctly worried about her parents' whereabouts since arriving at her home to find it empty.

Shinra hadn't released any information since saying they were missing. Nobody in the village or Midgar had seen them since them or the other scientists that disappeared. His parents had high-ranking places in Shinra and at first he'd been persistent with getting information from them. Like anything involving them, it had proven to be futile.

"Sekai?"

As anticipated, she jumped at the sound of her name. She forced a smile, her eyes remaining nervous and slightly distant. "There are some kids trying to climb the gate."

He lowered his book completely and glanced out the window saying, "Want me to call security and have them chased out?"

She shook her head in saying, "I don't care, but won't your parents get mad?"

He shrugged in response as her gaze returned to the window. "Only my mother gets bothered and she's away."

He lifted up his book and read a line but didn't absorb a word of it before glancing up at her again. She noticed he was still watching asking, "What?"

"You look particularly interested in them. Who is it?"

She squinted saying, "Well…it kind of looks like Angeal's with them."

"Huh." Genesis said, his interest shifting from dark thoughts about Sekai to what would compel Angeal to accompany some of the petty thieves. He'd seen Angeal taking apples from a few other trees, but he'd never once set foot on Rhapsodos Manor uninvited.

He reached over for his bookmark as Sekai observed them saying, "Actually, he's with them, but he isn't really _with_ them."

Genesis smiled to himself as he marked his page and closed the book. He kept his expression slacked saying, "That's very disturbing."

She turned to him asking, "That Angeal would steal from you despite the honor rants? They're only getting longer as time goes on, too…"

"No." Genesis replied, smiling at the young girl. "That I understand the difference between being with somebody and being _with _that person."

She scowled at him saying, "Don't be sarcastic."

He grinned saying, "Well, it was a very poor way to word things. If you weren't so stubborn I could probably teach you a slightly more advanced vocabulary."

"I'm not stubborn!" And the only word I need to know with you is 'rhetoric'." She replied smugly.

"I bet you can't spell that."

"I bet I could read it."

He picked up his book asking, "What's that word on the cover say?"

She stared at it saying, "Um…"

"Don't know?"

"Give me a minute!" She objected, sounding the syllables out. "Oh! Loveless? The title of the book is 'Loveless'?"

He nodded saying, "It's an interesting story. You'd probably like it."

"Is it one of those stories your parents tell you not to read? It sounds like one of those romances meant for teenage girls."

"Reading material shouldn't be reserved for one gender. I'm not too far off that teenage part, anyway." He replied simply. "And-"

"So it's the literary form of a chick flick."

He rolled his eyes saying, "I wasn't done! It's quite popular now and has been reproduced into various plays. It isn't a love story either, it's about the planet."

She crossed her arms saying, "With a title like 'Loveless' that's kind of hard to believe."

He put the book down saying, "You need a mirror."

"Why's that?" She asked suspiciously.

"To look at yourself."

She mimicked him and rolled her eyes saying, "Duh. Why else?"

"Because you say you're not stubborn." He explained playfully.

She opened her mouth to object but lowered her arms and pursed her lips unhappily, rethinking any replies she'd come up with. The remnants of an argument drifted through the window and ended with a curse. Sekai looked up first at what was going on outside and whined.

"Nope. He's definitely not _with_ them."

Genesis stood and leaned over the sofa to examine what was going on outside. Angeal had blocked a hit but received another to his jaw. He refused to counterattack, simply blocking the attack that followed. Genesis scowled slightly and reached to the base of the window, sliding the locks that kept the screen in place open.

Sekai noticed immediately and grabbed his arm demanding, "What do you think your doing?"

"Relax." He said, sliding the screen up. "I'm not doing anything dangerous, if that's what you're going to say next."

"All you ever do is dangerous." She grumbled as tried to pry her fingers away before he ducked under the window. He landed on the flowerbed below smoothly, nevertheless managing to trample a number of flowers.

"I'll make you read aloud from a history book if you don't let go." He said, watching in the corner of his eye as three of the intruders climbed one of the trees and picking apples off them roughly, taking small pieces of branch with them.

She lessened her grip slightly and he pulled away, tramping over the flowers thoughtlessly and hurrying to the scene. He heard her sigh loudly and swear less than innocently.

"Genesis!" She called after him.

Ignoring her call, he hurried over the grass and addressed the one picking a fight with Angeal saying, "Leave him alone."

Angeal looked over at him uneasily, blinking at his friend's sudden appearance. Genesis watched as he glanced over the loud swearing coming from the window Sekai was struggling to climb out of. Angeal furrowed his eyebrows and shot Genesis a questioning look. The best he could do was shrug in reply. She hadn't learned _all_ the curses from him. _Hopefully she hasn't learned them all from me…_

The aggressor scoffed asking, "Is this another one of your weird little friends? It's pointless to try stopping us, it's not like a bunch of rich city slickers like the Rhapsodos family would miss a few apples. Besides, they're an object of much betting."

Genesis stopped and gave the invader a dry look saying, "You can't be very intelligent to steal from the trees _on_ the facility with all the security that swarms around here."

Sekai didn't like Angeal much, but she didn't have much of a choice when it came to associating with him since he was a good friend of Genesis'. She respected him for being honest but couldn't help but wonder why they were supposedly both "special," though Angeal never had to be rushed off to Midgar when he was injured. Any wound Genesis received never seemed to heal naturally.

"Any security around here should be worrying about protecting the assholes that live here rather than worrying about some apples being stolen." Sekai vaguely recognized the intruder vaguely but wasn't sure of his name. He was larger than Genesis though not much taller. Nevertheless, the idea of the two teenagers fighting wasn't a positive one.

"At least I'm bright enough to word my insults properly. I'll try to use simpler adjectives if you misinterpreted my previous message."

_Damn, I'd like to have said that myself…_ She thought inwardly. _But couldn't he have called those security guards he's preaching about first? _She leaned out the window and tumbled onto the flowers below; glad it was only a two foot drop. She brushed the dirt off her clothes as she stood up, hurriedly hopping hoping over the foot-high stone wall separating the garden from the grass.

"Just who do you think you are?" The intruder asked, shoving Genesis back roughly.

"I wouldn't mind a formal introduction but seeing as the situation doesn't constitute for anything calm…" Genesis replied snidely.

"All right, I have no objects to that." He replied said shortly as Angeal tackled him. Completely unprepared, they both tumbled to the ground.

The thief elbowed Angeal in the nose and at the same moment Genesis stepped back to avoid flailing limbs, the intruder's leg sweeping across the ground. Despite struggling with Angeal, his knee still managed to connect solidly with Genesis' ankle and sent him falling backward. The path was covered in gravel and she grimaced as she saw Genesis land on his elbow and scrape it against the ground.

Angeal was getting to his feet, whipping blood from his nose on his sleeve as the thief grabbed Genesis by the front of his shirt and leaned back, ready to hit him.

"Stop it!" The trespasser hesitated and looked up as the high-pitched shriek filled the air.

"Shit, we're busted!" One of the other trespassers up in a tree swore, hoping down from the branch he sat on as the sound of heavy footfalls grew closer.

The aggressor snorted saying, "Pathetic! You need a little girl like Sekai to defend you?"

The thug holding the pillow case of apples narrowed his eyes and looked down at Genesis, a disgusted look coming over his face. "You idiot! That's the Rhapsodos kid!"

The attacker looked down at Genesis and dropped him, turning on his heel and bolting toward the gate. Angeal stared after him, looking unsurprised. Genesis sat up, rubbing his elbow and watched the act. Two of his petty goons struggled with the pillow case full of apples, throwing it over the gate.

The repercussion of the thoughtless action would have been quite humorous to Sekai if her friend and his friend weren't injured. The bag didn't get much air but got high enough to land on the top of the wall. Half the purple and white apples within tumbled out and atop the head of the one who threw them. He pushed the bag over abruptly, and by the crunch and swearing on the other side of the stone wall she imagined it landed on the other intruders.

Genesis smirked slightly at them as four security guards in suits came into view, running across the lawn. Regardless, she hurried over to here he sat and knelt down beside him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He replied, lowering his elbow so she didn't see it.

She scowled at him and leaned over to examine the torn sleeve asking, "Are you bleeding?"

"It's just a scrape; don't make a big deal about it." Genesis replied lowering his voice before adding, "It'll heal."

She leaned back and stared at him worriedly asking, "And if it doesn't…?"

He looked away from her guiltily, knowing what she was thinking. It was evident on her face and he could tell what she held back; '_like last time?'_ The guards reached them, asking various questions about what had happened and who the intruders were. Sekai stepped back, watching dissatisfiedly as they over dramatized the wound far worse than she had.

She stared as one of the female guards turned around, looking at Angeal as though he were a complete afterthought, "Your one of the Young Master's friends, correct? Come this way."

Angeal nodded, wiping blood from his nose before following. Sekai sighed, contemplating heading back through the open window in the library. It wasn't getting forgotten that bothered her. She felt rather distracted from what had just happened. It wasn't unusual for any type of security to think less of anybody but the person they were assigned to protect. However…she couldn't help but wonder if it was good or bad knowing how Angeal and Genesis had met and why they were treated so differently.

"Why couldn't…" She trailed under her breath as Genesis glanced back at her, smiling at her reassuringly for a moment before being pushed through the door. She forced herself to return it, hoping he didn't notice the reluctance behind it. She swallowed and stared and the closing door, clenching her fists tightly.

"Why couldn't Angeal be the one who's incomplete?"

--

Final Hikari: Thus ends the prologue of All That's Left Behind!

Zack: They should be relieved you actually proofread this for a change.

Final Hikari: -.- It's only the prologue, I can kick your ass outta here faster than you can say todokanai ai to shitteita no ni osaekirezu ni aishitsuzuketa.

Zack: …That's not very scary.

Final Hikari: Also, this disclaimer won't be too random! Firstly, I want to inform the readers that the only important OC will be Sekai. You can pretty much forget about the rest of them… Additionally, since this is a childhood flashback, there will be a _lot_ of character development on her part.

Cloud: They're all groaning.

Final Hikari: …They should be happy… Well, while the story is still in its early stages I need to consult a survey! Readers, which do you like better: Aerith or Aeris?

Aerith: You made fun of my name in a parody…

Final Hikari: Okay, enough making fun of me! Now, please say in a review which you like better. Both are kinda correct since I believe she's still Aeris in the Japanese but since Aerith is her current name…and after Crisis Core I kinda came to like it. XD

Genesis: In other words she's saying it has grown on her like flesh eating bacteria.

Final Hikari: And finally, I plan to shoot for weekly updates! Thanks for reading!


	2. Revisiting a Lost Home

Final Hikari: OY! Damn the Crisis Core version of Sin Harvest!

Genesis: …fighting Sephiroth?

Final Hikari: Yes. -.- I tried using Graviga but he moved too quickly then I scrambled for something else but he Sin Harvested me then swooped over and…yeah…

Zack: It's only called Sin Harvest in Kingdom Hearts…

Final Hikari: Yeah…but my trauma with that attacked started six years ago with KH1. -recovers from defeat- Right! I hereby dub Tuesday update day for All That's Left Behind!

Aerith: Remember what happened last time you made Tuesday an update day?

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- This is different! I'm writing for a big community now! Plus, Genesis fics are an unexplored market so far. I get to be a pioneer in the new character genre!

Genesis: -bows to crowd-

Zack: -stares at Genesis- We aren't in the auditorium anymore…

Final Hikari: Besides, Crisis Core's North American release was on a Tuesday!

Genesis: Yankee. Have you decided who you want in the disclaimers yet?

Zack: Any reason Sekai isn't here?

Final Hikari: Long before this story was posted she had a different name. She was nearly renamed a second time a month ago…also, her current (and final) name is said seh-ky-ee. The se has a E like the E in eh and KY is like the ky in sky.

Cloud: You still have another announcement.

Final Hikari: Ah right, the ages. As you probably guessed, the prologue was a childhood flashback. Sekai was five in the prologue and Genesis ten. The age difference is a pain, but seeing as Genesis over here is going to be vegetablized for a while… -stands up on chair to pat Genesis on head-

Genesis: …Is that a word? And is the patting necessary?!

Aerith: That's pretty awkward since she has to stand on a chair to be high enough…

Final Hikari: What? Not everybody is blessed with 5'2+ heights even when they're long done growing. -points at Zack- Do the disclaimer, Country Boy!

Zack: …Final Hikari doesn't own anything Final Fantasy VII.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 1

Revisiting a Lost Home

It had been nearly two months since Sekai last set foot in her room. It might have just been the unusual abundance of silence, but the door seemed to creek louder than usual as she pushed it open. The air was uncomfortably warm and stagnant from being closed off in the summer heat.

A thin layer of dust had settled over most of the furniture. She placed the empty suitcase down next to her dresser, silently wondering where to start. Her aunt was with her, going through her parents' personal things. There hadn't been any information released on their whereabouts, but enough time had passed for her aunt to take action to become her legal guardian.

Her aunt said they'd spend the remainder on the summer at her house in another nearby town. She'd promised they'd get a place in Banora to stay once the school year started, but she wasn't hopeful. She guessed her aunt was trying to be understanding of her not wanting to return to the house, but she'd rather of had to stay there than leave Banora altogether for over a month.

She knelt down and flipped the suitcase open on the floor, pulling a drawer of her dresser out to pack the contents. The drawer was halfway empty when she heard a knock on her window, thinking it was patterned too well to be one of the trees.

Surely enough, it wasn't a tree. She smiled slightly despite herself when she saw the familiar face waiting at her window. She rolled her eyes as she opened the window then slid up the screen saying, "You could have used the door."

"Yeah, but your aunt and my mother were ready to get the samurai swords out and duel to the death last night at dinner when they started bickering about silverware. I'm guilty by association." Genesis explained simply, hoisting himself though the window.

"Your family has samurai swords…?" Sekai asked skeptically.

"You know those slanted broadsword looking ones hung on the mantle in the sitting room?"

"Yeah…but aren't they a little big to be samurai swords?"

"Samurai swords aren't just katanas, you know. In fact, if we're talking commonly accepted views around here, katanas are thought of as a ninja's weapon rather than that of a samurai. Since ninja are trained to be subtle and silent-"

"All right, I get the idea." She said, losing interest after he got into the summary of stereotypical views.

"You're not going to be able to tell that to a teacher when _they_ start to bore you."

"So what? I might as well prolong the boredom as long as possible."

He shrugged in defeat, still managing to look cheerful as he added, "Such an unprepared mindset!"

"Mmm-hmm." She said passively, barely hearing the footsteps descending the stairs down the hall.

"Is that your aunt?" Genesis asked quietly, scanning the room for a hiding place.

"There's nothing under my bed if you think you'd fit…" She trailed off. Immediately he ducked under the sheets hovered just above her floor and disappeared. She blinked in surprise, never having gotten the chance to say she could just close the door or better yet, hide in the bathroom.

Her aunt poked her head and smiled at Sekai asking, "How's the packing coming?"

"Good." Sekai replied hastily.

"We can come back here next weekend with the movers, so you only have to bring enough for a week or so."

She nodded in reply, not wanting to start a conversation and prolong the visitation. It backfired and her aunt looked around the room suspiciously, her gaze straying to the window and melting into a slight scowl.

"Sekai!" She said crossly, making Sekai jump in surprise, "What were you thinking putting the screen up? Who knows how many unpleasant insects have all ready flown in?"

"I just wanted to get some fresh air." Sekai replied abruptly, shifting guiltily.

Her aunt took a step forward and pushed the door open a little more, about to enter and close it herself. Sekai jumped up from where she'd sat on the edge of her bed to close the screen herself, fearing her aunt would notice the boot-shaped print in the dust or trampled flowers outside.

"Plenty will get in with the screen down." She said tersely. "Be sure to close them all back up before we leave."

Sekai's aunt closed the door as she left, though Sekai didn't sigh in relief until her footsteps had receded down the hall. She walked over to her bed and lifted the sheet up asking, "Is entering through windows your new thing? For how much you rant about corny sayings and events, entering and exiting through windows is pretty unoriginal. Isn't that something they do in all those books your parents tell you not to read?"

"For the hundredth time, I haven't been reading any romance novels." He sighed. "But you, on the other hand, said there wasn't anything under here. Sadly, that isn't entirely correct. I saw two pairs of socks under that nightstand and a hair band under the dresser."

"That isn't the bed."

He slid out and dusted off his clothes saying, "Fair enough. But if dust counts there's a helluva lot of that under there."

"It doesn't count, because it's everywhere. And I could just ask the librarian if you've been reading things your parents tell you not to, anyway."

"Ha!" He said triumphantly, "That is where you are wrong. I'm careful to put any books like that back after I finished reading them."

Sekai crossed her arms and smirked saying, "But that means you _have_ been poking around in your parent's bookcases."

"Actually, I found Loveless in their study."

"I'm sure you did…but wouldn't they notice it was missing?"

"Nah, I was careful to coordinate my snooping right before the maid was to come in and straighten up."

"No wonder my aunt doesn't like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, mocking an injured look.

She grinned saying, "You could corrupt a small child in a few minutes with all the strategy you have with sneaking around."

"Well, you just about qualify as a small child so too bad. Besides, if you don't know how to eavesdrop carefully you'd get caught and be in a world of trouble."

"Eavesdropping isn't a good thing."

"Nothing helpful of joy bringing is healthy." He said matter-of-factly, "Just think of junk food and ice cream…"

"How about you think about that hair band? I can never reach things once they're under there. I think there's a pair of sunglasses down there too."

"Joy rapture. If I find anything else do I get a prize?"

"Sure." Sekai replied, returning to packing her suitcase. "You get to keep what you find, but only under the nightstand.

"Haha, very funny…" He said sarcastically, reaching under the dresser. "Damn, the little swooping designs on the bottom make it really hard to fit your arm under here…"

"Now aren't you glad you came over?"

"Couldn't be happier…" He said, flicking a large wad of dust out from under the dresser.

It didn't take long to fill the suitcase, though it did manage to gain a fair amount of weight and didn't close easily. Sekai knew what her aunt would insist she left something behind until they could return with more luggage, but she didn't have enough interest in gaining her aunt's trust to bother.

She was careful to tuck all the edges of all that was inside and closed the lid before sitting on top of it to flatten it out. It was a very old looking suitcase her aunt had provided and closed by two long metal latches on the front. They had locks though she'd never seen them used. She pushed the edge of one down though it resisted. She shifted and looked around, getting frustrated and she double-checked there was nothing sticking out.

Genesis looked up as he lifted one of the cardboard boxes off the upper shelf of her closet when he heard her sigh. He looked over asking, "Need a hand? Or an ass?"

"Sure." She sighed, stepping off the suitcase.

He walked over and kneeled down on it, leaning toward the front so the part it closed was pressed tightly together. She shook her head slightly as he flipped the two latches together effortlessly.

"Thanks." She said as he stood up and lifted it up to its side.

"Oy!" He said, wincing in mock pain. "What did you put in there? Materia?"

She smirked slightly saying, "The saying is 'rocks.' They're heavier than materia, so it doesn't have the same effect."

"Whatever." He said with a shrug. "Really though. What did you put in there?"

She looked at him skeptically asking, "It's actually heavy?"

"Yeah, but not quite as heavy as rocks," he began, smirking slightly as he assumed an arrogant explanatory tone, "thus choosing 'materia' in its place had meaning behind it."

She rolled her eyes saying, "Riiiiight. And the only heavy things in there are a few pairs of shoes, a picture frame, and a photo album."

"One of those big ones?" He asked. She nodded reply as he added, "No wonder. Want me to carry it out for you? You'll have to make sure the coast is clear first."

"If you want to." She replied, opening the door and poking her head out.

She didn't see her aunt and hurried down the hall and looked up the staircase, seeing the room to the linen closet open and her aunt singing off-key to a song on the music player that never seemed to leave her pocket. She looked over to the front door and saw no one was coming before turning around and motioning for Genesis to come out. He didn't make a sound as he hurried down the hall and placed it down by the door beside her aunt's other bags.

"Do you want to use the door to leave?" She mouthed. He didn't pick up on it and she pointed to the door.

"You're throwing me out?" He whispered.

She rolled her eyes for the second time before hurrying back to her room and motioning for him to follow. After closing the door she said, "I was asking you if you wanted to leave through the front door."

"Tempting, but now I know how much you like the window entrances. I'd hate to deprive you of them." He said brightly, enjoying her scowl at the sarcasm. "Though I should get going. When do you think you'll be back in Banora for any period of time?"

"This weekend. But my aunt will probably keep me busy most of the time." She added darkly.

"If I hide the samurai swords, why don't you tell her she's welcomed to dinner again?"

"Would your mother go for that?" She asked doubtfully.

"Eh, she isn't concerned enough to care what I do as long as it doesn't inconvenience her schedule. Granted, she could be bothered but all I have to do is tell the cooks. She's leaving for Midgar tomorrow anyway."

Sekai bit her lower lip asking hesitantly, "Do you think she'll get any news?"

"It'd be hard not to. She point blank said I couldn't come so I'd imagine so."

"If she does…" She trailed off, looking down at the floor.

"You'll be the first to know."

"Thanks." She said quietly. "My aunt…really thinks they're gone. She's been going on their computers to get all their information to close bank accounts n' stuff. I heard her on the phone yesterday trying to talk the attorney into letting her see their wills."

--

Genesis could easily see the rationality behind the request. Mass disappearances in Shinra usually equaled the deaths of the missing people. He didn't think her parents were still alive, but the story wasn't solid. It didn't make sense her mother would also disappear, seeing as she was only a materia technician and not even part of the Security Unit.

But no matter how it went, he didn't like how numb she tried to appear regarding it. He didn't see why she was so determined to hide it, but decided after a few of their conversations had taken a depressing nosedive not to question that aspect of the situation. He wasn't entirely sure what he planned to say to her when the news of her parents' fate was confirmed, but with each passing day their survival got grimmer.

"You should tell her to stop probing into your parents' lives." He said, keeping his voice calm. "Personally, I'd have told her she's a silly old bat and she should shove the program she used to get all the passwords to these accounts up her ass."

He saw her smile slightly, though her eyes were still sad. "I was eavesdropping. I couldn't really speak up else I'd get in trouble."

"I doubt she'd approve much of the language, either."

She looked up and forced another smile though her eyes didn't completely meet his. "I bet she'd blame you."

"Probably. I'll see you later, all right?"

"Sounds good. Once my aunt pauses that horrible disco she adores I'll tell her we can come over."

Genesis wrinkled his nose asking, "That crap she's howling to is disco?"

"She sings horribly, huh?" Sekai asked as Genesis pushed the screen of the window up.

"Horribly is an understatement." He replied, climbing up on the windowsill and hoping out. "Prolonged exposure to that would make any halfway normal person's ears bleed."

He landed on the grass of the side lawn easily turning around before saying, "Don't forget to close the screen."

"I'll do it on your fingers if you're too sarcastic." She said sweetly.

"How evil!" He said teasingly before saying goodbye.

--

After he was gone she closed the screen and window altogether. She looked around her room, the scene of loneliness that hung over the room returning. It seemed unusually vacant now. The house had always been alive when her parents were there but now it was rather uninviting. She hadn't taken much off her dresser to desk though it all ready felt as though the room was no longer her own.

She walked over to her bed and looked in some of the boxes she'd asked Genesis to take down from the higher shelves. They didn't have anything too interesting within them, mainly things she hadn't used in a while. That was partly because she'd ask her parents not to put important things over her head.

There were mainly supplies for art projects. She didn't like sewing and didn't get any farther than opening the lid of the small shoebox filled with scraps of material and thread. She looked around the other boxes on her bed and a small dusty one caught her eye. She furrowed her brows, staring at the unusually thick layer of dust. It looked like it hadn't been disturbed in a long while.

It must have been on the top shelf…she thought, inwardly trying to control her curiosity so she wasn't disappointed. _Genesis must have found it and took it down because it wasn't labeled…_

She looked up to the upper shelf of her closet as she grabbed the small wooden box. Nothing was stored ever stored on that one. Since the box couldn't have been more then three inches high and six wide, it could have gone unseen if pushed into a corner. She brushed the dust off the top and struggled to read the cursive golden letters carved into the lid.

She decided to look at it more later and lifted it off, placing it gently on her bed. Inside were yellowed pieces of paper. She lifted one out, guessing it was a letter. The handwriting was also cursive and rather messy, almost making her regret firmly refusing to be taught script. …Almost.

The handwriting of the first was unfamiliar but the second two were both written by her mother. The fourth in the box was whiter than the rest and had been printed out on a computer. At first she was glad the font was plain but felt dread rising in the back of her mind when she saw the writer's address on the top. The words 'Shin-Ra Electric Power Company' were in bold.

She unfolded the letter and began to read.

_Kurayami-san, doko wa anata?_

_It's nothing out of the ordinary, but Professor Hojo is getting obsessed with Jenova Project S. Needless to say, Lucrecia doesn't have any problems with that either. I can't blame her, though she's been rather reclusive recently. I suppose it makes sense though, who wouldn't be afraid if they realized they were about to give birth to a monster? If anything good comes of those projects I'd be shocked…_

_When do you think you'll be getting back to headquarters? Sorry for the ominous return address, but with the program I'm using to type this it'll look strange if I selected any other heading…luckily, due to an encoding fault with the very same program I can cloak the rest of my letter from unwanted eyes after selecting the header. …Don't say that it doesn't make any sense…_

_So, what's Banora like? I can see why the two of you want to settle there. Personally, I couldn't fathom living in the middle of nowhere like that… Since the company is volunteering to pay for the homes of the employees who decide to settle there just so they can keep an eye on both halves of the results of Project G. That is, of course, if their test subjects survive. They may think they're being merciful by not making them live here at the Shin-Ra building in Midgar, but their futures are pretty grim no matter what they do._

_Sometimes I wonder if they realize they're creating monsters. Granted, the most sensible way is to experiment with the Jenova cells when the subjects are still in the fetal stage. I know they're just trying to create another Cetra but it's sad to see to remember their past attempts and think that these children could very well have no future. I think I heard Gast saying it was better never to have a future than to have one abruptly taken away from you, but still…_

_Regarding what I was saying earlier with Lucrecia, I do hope she's all right. She's missed a lot of the book club's meetings since you left. I think it has something to do with that Turk that just disappeared. He was reported dead to the low level members of the company, but he wasn't deployed on any missions when it happened. In fact, if my sources are correct (and they always are) he was still on duty as Lucrecia's bodyguard at the exact time it happened._

_I heard from one of the receptionists in the front they were having an affair. I wonder what Hojo would think of that…but it's important to remember the info was from the receptionist. Half their info is inaccurate gossip._

_Anyway, talk to you soon! Feel free to write a physical letter to my sister, who'll give it to me next weekend, if you want to make sure what you write isn't read by anybody unsavory._

_Your friend,_

_Kyala_

--

Genesis sighed saying, "I really don't like where this is going with her."

Angeal shook his head slightly and replied, "You shouldn't worry about her so much. You'll see her again in less than seven days."

"That isn't what's bothering me."

"If it's just her parents, than you should relax. I was surprised myself how well she was handing it. Especially for how young she is." Angeal said while indexing the vegetables in the brown paper bag he was carrying from the super market.

"That's what's bothering me!" Genesis objected, "She's trying to look strong so people don't worry about her. She shouldn't have to lie to herself just to maintain what other people think of her at her age."

"She is very bright for her age, but keep in mind she probably won't remember the larger portion of all this once she's older. It's probably better if her memories of her parents are hazy…"

"Yeah, so all she remembers of them is dealing with settling their estate. Some good memories those are."

"You're being overly critical." Angeal surmised, "You hate your parents, there's no way for you determine what she'd remember and what she wouldn't. In fact, it's human nature to block bad parts of childhood memories out completely."

"Where'd you read that, a little message on a calendar?"

Angeal smirked slightly saying, "No, it was online for a report. But that's irrelevant. If you think all she'll remember is her aunt believing they're dead just to get their money, just try to keep her mind off of it."

"That'll be easy when she isn't in the tri-city area." Genesis said sourly.

"So that _is_ bothering you." Angeal chuckled, "With how much time you spend around computers, distance shouldn't be a problem. But why don't you get her some flowers? Even little girls like that sort of thing."

Genesis looked at his suspiciously saying, "If they're anything like your plants and full of bugs, no thanks. She's afraid of spiders and not even I'm _that_ cruel."

"Mild arachnophobia, eh? Only plants growing in dirt attract bugs, and it's only if you let them in. The overprice bouquets you see for sale at super markets and florists with only a few flowers wouldn't have any insects growing with them. Although it's been proven potted plants do better with-"

"Nobody cares about your internet theories. But it is a good idea."

"Putting worms in plants to aerate the soil or getting Sekai flowers?"

Genesis gave him a sour look saying, "What do you think it is, genius?"

"I'd imagine the latter. But before you get the credit cards out, remember small corner vendors only take cash."

Genesis furrowed his brows asking, "Not even check?"

Angeal shifted his hold on the bag of groceries saying, "Don't you have to be eighteen or older to have a checking account…?"

Genesis shrugged in reply saying, "Whatever. There are ATM machines for a reason. They're everywhere in the cities…any idea where one is around here?"

"You should check the super market. I'm not taking responsibility for however much you spend and get in trouble for though. It's leeks for you otherwise."

"Fully noted. And keep the leeks in that bag where they belong. Better yet, let them get moldy in the back of the fridge."

"That'd be a waste of gil." Angeal disagreed, turning on the downward slope of the path that lead to his house. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Genesis gave him a thumbs up before hurrying off in the direction they'd come from. _Hmm…I suppose I should have told him not to buy them until tomorrow. If he doesn't store them correctly they'll be wilted by the time she's leaving if he does…ah well, he's sharp enough to figure it out. I hope…_

--

Final Hikari: More announcements, these ones are regarding Genesis' personality. Very little time passed between the prologue and chapter one so there was sub zero character development. I do intend to include the gradual change to the half crazy Genesis we know in Crisis Core. -does little swirly hand around-the-bend thing near head before pointing at Genesis-

Genesis: -.- I'm right here you know…

Final Hikari: I know.

Genesis: …-mumbling- I thought she was one of my fangirls!

Cloud: When it comes to being sadistic and evil to the characters she's a fan of, Final Hikari does brilliantly.

Genesis: -.- Doesn't that defeat the purpose of being a fan?

Cloud: You'd think so, but be glad you've only been the subject of her bashing for a month. Some of us have dealt with her for over a year now.

Genesis: -grimace-

Final Hikari: -smiles innocently- Too true. You creeped me out on DoC. I'm glad they got him a new voice for Crisis Core…I wasn't very fond of the first one…


	3. Withered

Final Hikari: -muttering to self- Damn, how did I forget so much of DoC?! It'd only take a day of gaming to replay it but my schedule is jammed…

Zack: Has she lost it?

Final Hikari: -scowling to self- Then Sekai… So when the first person picks up…so in DoC…so after DoC…yes…yes, that's perfect!

Aerith: -whispers- Should we mute her in case of spoilers?

Final Hikari: -rubs hands together- -eyes glint- So then Sekai…then maybe Cloud...yes, that'll be perfect!

Zack: She sounds like Hojo…

Aerith: I hear making a complex plot requires a scientist…

Cloud: …Why am I left in the dark with all this?

Zack: You're too young.

Final Hikari: Okay! All planned! Though I feel like there's something I'm forgetting.

Genesis: There is. It's the reason all this twisted insanity is exposed to the readers.

Final Hikari: Right! The disclaimer! Country Boy, snap to it!

Zack: -.- The author doesn't own anything Final Fantasy VII.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 2

Withered

Sekai Kurayami stared dismally at the wilting flowers. She reached out, gently touching a petal of the rose in the center of the arrangement. It fell off the rose and into her hand the moment she reached it. She stared the dark and curled edges a moment before letting it flutter to the floor.

Her aunt hadn't kept her promise about taking her back over the weekend. The flowers were going on their second week of being on display, so despite keeping them in water and in the sun their decay was inevitable. They'd had them on her aunt's kitchen table for a while but when they showed signs of degrading, she had been told to throw them out. Instead, Sekai decided to take them into the room her aunt had given her for the time they stayed at her house.

She doubted her aunt was aware she still had them. She didn't know much about computers but wanted to email Genesis saying she wouldn't be returning to Banora for the weekend as planned since her aunt came up with a bad excuse. However, her aunt had everything password protected. She didn't get past the initial security check moments after it turned on.

She'd also asked her aunt if she could use her computer one time it was all ready on, but her hope had been dashed upon enduring another list of poor excuses. She wished her aunt had just said "I don't let children touch my computer." It would have made things a lot simpler and would have wasted less time.

She turned around and looked around the room, her eyes settling on her backpack. It lay on its side on her bed where she'd tossed it earlier that day. _I should get a computer of my own soon…I don't know much about them but Genesis would be happy to pick one out for me. At least then I wouldn't be dependant on adults to provide means of communication. Seeing as I don't have any now…_

…_Or do I?_

She walked over to her bed and unzipped an outer pocket of the backpack. She pulled out a small photo album and reached around for her cell phone. Her fingers felt smooth plastic in a pocket under netted material. She felt the top of the pocket and extracted the phone.

Her parents had also given her a cell phone. It was only for emergencies and had a very simple design. The one her aunt gave her had apparently been her own until a few months ago. Since it wasn't meant to be used as an emergency phone for a child, it had a number of special features she'd been instructed not to use.

She examined the small device and opened it up, smiling triumphantly as a full keyboard was revealed. It took her a few moments to navigate the menus and reach the one for IM. _I think each message is a few cents each…my aunt will be paying, if they are… Ah well, she wouldn't let me use her computer and do it for free so too bad._ She thought stubbornly while typing her password in. It didn't take long for the list of her contacts to appear. It was small enough for all of them to appear at once.

"Awww…" She mumbled, "He's offline…"

She signed out disappointedly, inwardly thinking she should probably be stealthier anyway. Genesis would probably tell her what he had advised she do with her parents; start only after the monthly statement came in so she'd have a few weeks 'operating at full potential without harassment.'

She heard her aunt's car pull in the driveway and the garage door rattle open. She'd offered to take Sekai with her, but going to the grocery store and post office didn't seem very interesting. She would have gone with her parents, but not her aunt. A few moments later a door creaked open.

"Sekai!" Her aunt called, much louder than needed for her voice to carry down the hall. She was probably talking over headphones. "You've got a package! It didn't fit in my PO Box and I was charged extra for it, so it better be important."

Sekai rolled her eyes, inwardly wondering if that was actually post office policy. Her aunt seemed to struggle with everything. Even getting pictures developed off a digital camera was a big problem with her…

She slid the cell phone under her pillow and headed down the hall. She wasn't very interested in what it could be; nobody she knew would have discovered her aunt's address. Her aunt had walked into the kitchen, throwing junk mail and a few envelopes that looked like bills into the trash. Sekai scanned the room; her eyes settling on a small package placed haphazardly leaning off the side of the kitchen table.

She picked it up, originally uninterested by the brown paper covering it. It wasn't very large, but too small to be a pile of business documents. She looked at the address, inwardly wondering why it was mailed to her. Her eyes brightened when she saw the sloppily written return address. She turned on her heel and hurried out of the kitchen and back to her room.

"Is it from the lawyer?" Her aunt called after her.

"No." Sekai responded, keeping her tone calm, before reached her room and locking the door behind her.

She hopped up on her bed, tearing the brown paper open. A white box and envelope were inside. The envelope had some words on the front that had been scribbled out with a black marker. She tossed the paper to the floor, the smell of vegetables reaching her nose. She looked down at the bag, eyeing logo of Banora's local grocery store skeptically. She dismissed it and opened the letter, pulling a piece of flowery stationary with the name "Gillian Hewley" on top. Despite the all the unusual packing, Genesis' messy handwriting was unmistakable.

_Not a word about the stationary. __**Not a word.**_

She smiled to herself at the heading and continued to read.

_My mother's been getting really suspicious of me since she realized I've been hacking into her computer to get information on Shinra's latest activities. The body guards follow me around all day whenever I'm home, thus I had to prepare this at Angeal's house and deal with some penny pinching. Hence why I'm using Angeal's mother's stationary and a cut up grocery bag for packing…I think there was a grocery list on the envelope, too. (He requests I mention he said hello…and stop calling him cheap)_

_Anyway! Inside the box, hopefully protected from the rancid smell of fresh leeks, is a copy of the book, Loveless. They only had one copy left at the bookstore and I still think you'd like to read it. If the stench of leeks is too overpowering you could probably leave it on a table or something and spray the room with air freshener…if you did it from a large enough distance it wouldn't damage the cover._

_I suppose your aunt objected to coming to Banora for the weekend, eh? Probably for the best; it was Friday night was when my mother realized I'd marked one of the emails I wasn't supposed to as unread. It was from nearly a week ago and she already had it filed so it was a pretty foolish mistake… The bodyguards didn't let Angeal in the following day so I doubt you'd have gotten treated any better._

_Oh, and just so you know I got your aunt's address through one of the find a person websites. There are a sick amount of people named Anthos Etchinda. She's your mother's sister, right? Did you know she used to work for Shin-Ra? I think it was in the Science Department. It doesn't look like she was part of any major projects, but it's unusual nonetheless. Goes to show they'll take just about anybody… By the way, a Shin-Ra train is passing through your town on Thursday. It's stopping to get supplies, so be on guard._

_Your friend,_

_Genesis_

Sekai put the letter down, about to reach for the box before seeing a small arrow written on top of a rose in the corner of the page. She stopped and flipped it over to see what was on the other side.

_P.S. Read the last verse of Act IV in Loveless first. It might help you understand and catch on to some of the other things said._

She opened the book and pulled the small hardcover book out. Like Genesis' copy, it was white with designs around the edges and the title in capitals on the cover. There wasn't anything on the back or any information on the author's name. She opened the book and flipped to the last page. The binding of the book was still tight so she had to hold it open as her eyes settled on the final paragraph.

"_My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess. Legend speaks of sacrifice at world's end_," She read aloud to herself, "_The wind sails over the water's surface…quietly, but surely."_

--

A Second Class SOLDIER operative walked hurriedly toward the building that served as the town's police station. Shin-Ra Infantrymen were also present there whenever the company was conducting activities in the area but it was mainly members of the town that composed their police force.

With him he carried a thick folder of information on the target they had to locate. Despite being sent on foot, though he doubted it would diminish public awareness anymore than one of their trucks going by would have. He had been told to get there as soon as possible, but the uneasy stares of people walking down the sidewalks were slightly distracting. They were returning to Midgar from Nibelheim where they had gone to the reactor there for Dr. Hojo to collect a few crates of top-secret equipment.

Granted, they had to stop halfway through since Nibelheim couldn't provide them with any fuel or other supplies, but they had encountered a large holdup in the town of Sydon they'd decided on. Delays weren't uncommon when accompanied by Dr. Hojo himself and his favorite creation, but it just happened Shinra's perfect monster had escaped.

Nobody dared question Hojo on the matter and it made sense why he'd be so obsessed with recovering this particular specimen. None of them could blame him, really; after all, the target was the Doctor's own son.

--

"Oy! Genesis, don't kill my bugs! I worked really hard to give those plants a natural habitat…"

Genesis rolled his eyes, dropping the rolled up newspaper with the remains of a few months and other insects smeared upon the text into the wastepaper basket. "Your spiders were encroaching on the computer and months started landing on the screen. Do you always treat your equipment like that?

Angeal's eyes drifted over to his old computer, which was still installing the program Genesis used to hack Shinra's database. Angeal had recently replaced it with a newer laptop and decided to let Genesis mess with it since his friend's entire computer collection was confiscated. Angeal also decided not to mention he usually closed the window at night if he was going to have the computer on.

"It hasn't loaded yet, huh?"

"No." Genesis replied, still staring out the window absentmindedly. "This program was designed for newer computer with a better connection in mind, so it'll be a while yet."

"It will install though, right?"

"It'll adapt to the software, if that's what you mean. Once it does that, it'll eventually compact itself and complete the installation." His friend replied. "However, the keyword is eventually."

Angeal nodded saying, "If that's the case, you should probably head back to your home soon. I'll leave it on all night and you can just come over tomorrow to see what it's up to…my parents shouldn't notice the lack of phone if you're here early enough. Your parents are probably getting worried."

He noticed his friend's expression darken before saying, "They're probably relieved I'm not there to pester them for information."

Angeal pondered it a moment, knowing why Genesis was so determined to use an advanced program on any computer her could get. It was justifiable, too; the Shin-Ra trains that had stopped in the town Sekai was staying it had encountered a holdup and were taking longer than expected. It had also been reported on a public news channel that some of their test subjects had escaped and were now prowling the town.

He also knew that the program couldn't be removed from a computer without a myriad of passwords and if it wasn't maintained and updated, the company's computer security unit would pick up on the connection to their database. Genesis didn't think a thing of having to throw a computer out every few months, but it was a complete different story for Angeal. Nevertheless, they could have all the information on what was happening in Sydon in no more than half an hour if they used a newer unit…

"You can use the laptop if you want." Angeal said, trying not to sound reluctant.

Genesis looked up immediately asking, "Really?"

Angeal shrugged saying, "Sure." Genesis had sprung to his feet and was aborting the installation on the old desktop in mere seconds before he finished with, "What are friends for?"

"Great." He replied as the screen cleared and the disc ejected. Angeal hadn't caught what type of code Genesis entered in the set up to make it terminate so quickly, though he doubted it wasn't anything that wouldn't create problems later on. "Once I get my computers back I promise I'll replace it with one with triple the memory and speed."

Angeal smiled to him saying, "Don't worry about it. Just find out what's going on up there."

--

A loud crash and the shattering of glass was what awoke Sekai. Her eyes snapped open though she didn't move as she scanned her room, making sure the disturbance wasn't in her immediate surroundings. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the room and she sat up slowly, careful not to let the bed creak.

She'd fallen asleep reading Loveless and her finger still remained on the page she left off on. She wasn't sure about the exact time the book lulled her to sleep but it had still been bright out. The sky was dark now, the moon a mere sliver in the sky. Her room was completely dark but she managed to discern the furniture.

She pulled her sneakers on before unlocking the door and creeping uncertainly into the hallway. She stopped when she heard the sound of strangely slow footsteps heading up the stairs. The person wasn't even trying to be quiet but wasn't moving very quickly by the long periods of silence between the footfalls.

She was about to continue down the hall but doubled back to her room, groping blindly across the sheets of her bed before her fingers settled on her cell phone. She grabbed it and shoved it in her pocket before hurrying back down the hall. When reaching the end, she turned on the corner of the stairwell. She wasn't surprised to find the door up wide open.

She heard the footsteps directly above her as she ducked into the stairwell. She stepped on the first stair and it let out a seemingly deafening creak. She grimaced and stopped, holding her breath as the footsteps stopped. They resumed and walked down the hall in the opposite direction of the staircase.

She continued up and to the second floor, hardly daring to poke her head out from the limited security of the wall. The hall was empty though her aunt's door was open. She heard a dull thud coming from the room followed by a crash. She heard hurried footsteps toward the door and jumped, forgetting to be quiet as she hurried from the staircase and into the nearest room. She reached up and turned the handle, tumbling into her aunt's walk-in linen closet.

She landed on a pile of boxes, many of which were cardboard and toppled. She squeezed her eyes shut as the footsteps came her way. The intruder flipped the light in the hallway on and the shadow of his feet became visible under the crack of the door. He stopped in front of the closet briefly before returning to the bedroom.

She took a deep breath and pulled her cell phone out, ready to call authorities. She was trying to remember the information they'd need and groaned inwardly. She had no idea what her aunt's address was. She probably couldn't spell her name properly, either. It was something strange like enchilada. She knew her mother's maiden name but her aunt had the last name of her late husband.

_Genesis…he could help. He knows the address. _She thought fondly, despite the tense situation. _But wait…she did leave all the mail on the table. If it's still there I could just take one and go back into my room to call…_

Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly when the lights in the hall went off suddenly. She froze but held her cell phone tightly, inwardly noticing only then there wasn't a lock on the door; not that it mattered. A long metal blade was jerked through the door and shoved into the wooden shelf behind her head.

Her eyes widened as the blade was retracted, passing inches from her head. She felt herself begin to tremble as the door was pulled open, revealing the vague form of the prowler. She blinked in surprise, a large portion of her surprise melting away when she saw the attacker couldn't be much older than Genesis and Angeal. Her momentary calm was proven faulty when the sword came down again, within inches of her leg. His face was shadowed though he looked to be dressed in black. The only definitive feature she was able to make out about him was long, luminescent, and silver hair. The unusual color was obvious even in the darkness.

She tumbled out of the way, scrambling to her feet and toward the stairwell. She ran down the stairs, skipping two at a time numerous times and landing painfully on her right ankle. She winced in pain but slammed the door closed behind her upon reaching the ground floor. Thoughts of remaining in the house dashed, she fumbled with the deadbolt on the front door. She glanced of her shoulder a few times as the doorknob to the stairwell jiggled violently.

Muttering one of the swear words she'd hear Genesis grumbled regularly, she ran back into her room. She locked the door behind her and flipped her cell phone open as she hurried into the bathroom. She locked that door too, feeling slightly safer at the thought of having at least two locked doors separating her from the intruder.

It didn't make much sense though. Why would a mere teenager break in? Better yet, how could he possibly have gotten a _sword_ of all weapons? A sick feeling overtook her as she remembered the thud coming from her aunt's room. She didn't like to think what might have happened to her.

She waited impatiently for the messenger on the cell phone to load. An error message saying her email or password was incorrect popped up. She flipped the light on and typed it in for the second time on the small buttons. She stared it at in unhappily as another crash sounded in the hallway.

Her heart skipped a beat and she looked around the bathroom, instantly feeling trapped. Two locked doors were nice but it might not have been as smart as she originally thought. Her eyes settled on a small window in the shower. It wasn't particularly large and it was rather high, but maybe…

She heard the heavy footsteps coming down the hall and then the door to her bedroom rattle. She didn't have time to forecast much further. A small beep came from her cell phone as the messenger signed in. She looked for Genesis' contact information frantically, her arms going half limp when she saw he was offline. She tried to calm her breathing and selected the option to send an offline instant message. She only typed one word, not bothering with capitalization or punctuation:

_help_

She didn't sign out but flipped the phone closed and shoved it back into her pocket. She grabbed the empty trashcan and turned it upside down in the shower. It was a decent stepstool and let her get high enough to place her foot on the safety bar. However, her position was anything but safe. She balanced with one foot on the bar as the struggled with the lock on the window. The window frame was made of wood and not metal, so it couldn't be rusted shut… She looked at the paint and ran her fingers over a panel of wood. It was still rather smooth; the paint job was recent. Her aunt must have painted it shut thoughtlessly…

She wrapped her fingers around the lower part of the sill for a little more balance. She looked at the lock sourly and tried to turn it again. She could try pulling on the lock with both hands and just hope it didn't come undone too quickly…

She heard a door slam open and hit the wall and scantly a moment later the metal blade of a sword was jerked through the bathroom door. Her eyes widened and without out imagining a fall she braced her feet against the wall and placed both hands on the small handle and leaned back. It shifted slightly as the sword was pulled down in the door. She glanced over her shoulder to watch as the sword was retracted and then shoved under the lock.

_He's…cutting the doorknob out? Genesis would have a fit just at the thought of using a sword while being so careless about keeping the edge in good condition…_

Before she realized it, the lock gave abruptly. She tumbled backward, grabbing onto the shower curtain. She hung there a minute, fleeting relief she hadn't landed on the floor and cracked her head against the sink or something worse, but then the shower bar gave out. She yelped and landed in a pile of material curtain in the middle of the floor. She landed thoughtlessly on the palm of her right hand, followed closely by her knee.

She yelped as jolt of pain shot up her arm upon hitting the hard tiled floor. She felt tears gather in the corners of her eyes as the searing pain refused to ebb. She rolled over on her back, struggling for breath. She watched as the sword was plunged through the door a third time. The force behind the attack was enough to jolt the rest of the wall. The door to the medicine cabinet above the sink swung open and a tube of toothpaste fell to the floor.

She struggled to sit up, leaning against the side of the tub for support. Her knee was bleeding and a bruise was forming around it but it wasn't that serious. She let her right arm hang limply at her side as she got to her feet. She tried not to put too much weight on her right side as she righted the trash can and tested her right leg. It was painful but not unbearable.

She was right handed and lacked the same strength in her left, but tried pulling herself up on the sill anyway. She couldn't, hesitantly placing both feet on the safety bar. It was unstable but she was a little higher up. She took a deep breath and braced herself for pain before lifting her right arm. It felt like thousands of tiny needles were poking through her skin from the inside out as she struggled to push the window open.

It slid up easily and the cool night air blew into the bathroom. She lowered her right arm and rested her cheek against the windowsill, still trying to regain her breath. For the third time, the sword was shoved crudely through the door. The attacker seemed to ram into the door, shaking it violently. She looked over as the sword was driven into the door a fourth and final time. The cling of the doorknob parting company with the wood and hitting the tile floor was deafening.

She reached up, holding onto the wooden sill desperately. She lingered there a moment, the blood rushing down from her arm. She attempted pulling herself up another futile time without results. She looked up and stared at the sky dismally when the sound of a truck speeding down the street and turning abruptly into her aunt's driveway. The door to the bathroom slammed open as the sound of heavy, running footsteps approached the window. She felt a large hand close over her own and pull her up to the sill and gently lift her out.

She blinked, staring up into the face of a Shinra SOLDIER. She recognized the uniform immediately. She was quickly handed off to an infantryman as two other SOLDIERs broke the lock on the front door of her aunt's house and hurried in. The SOLDIER that pulled her from the window was soon to follow.

"Are you all right?" The infantryman asked upon reaching the empty van as others pulled in. He placed her down on the edge of the back opening where the two doors had been thrown open.

"Not really." She replied absently, staring at the house as a scream pierced the air.

She watched as more Shinra vans and trucks came to line the small suburban street. Lights in other houses were being flipped on as more infantrymen emerged from the trucks, followed by much less hurried scientists in white lab coats. She shivered as one with stringy, black hair exited a truck yelling at the others. The sound of engines and gunshots from within the house drowned out most the orders he was barking. From what she could hear he was telling them 'not to harm the subject.'

"Did the specimen injure you?" The infantryman that had carried her asked.

"Sort of." She said, more mesmerized by all the commotion growing on her aunt's lawn.

"Our medical until can take care of that. Your name is Sekai Kurayami, correct?"

"How'd you know?" She asked suspiciously, glancing up at him momentarily distracted.

"We received distinct instructions on what to do if you became involved in the specimen's retrieval. You'll return to Banora escorted by the Turks shortly."

"I thought the Turks were only-" She began, cut off when he held up his hand for silence saying he was going to find the doctor to tend her wounds. She sighed and felt the phone in her pocket vibrate.

_Right, I never signed out…_she remembered fleetingly, reaching in her pocket to extract the device. She was about to flip it open when a person on a stretcher carried by infantryman exited the house. She saw his chest lurking up and down as he struggled for breath while being hurried over to the greasy yelling scientist. He only seemed to be angrier when seeing the intruder's condition.

She watched as the infantryman spoke to one of the scientists. The scientist he'd questioned was a woman and looked up, glancing at Sekai before returned to her gaze to the infantryman. She nodded before picking the metal briefcase she'd set by her feet up and walked to where Sekai sat. The scientist offered a smile but Sekai didn't return it. Her thoughts had returned to her aunt and she was all ready imagining the worst.

--

Final Hikari: At long last, they're done! These childhood flashbacks turned out to be harder than I expected. The again, I don't like children so… The time jump between this chapter and the next is five years. Finally, I've made a few account changes since my disappearance. I no longer accept anonymous reviews.

Aerith: Won't removing the link to your email address affect the readers, too?

Final Hikari: Not really.

Zack: That's it? Don't you usually want to torment us longer?

Final Hikari: I'm not done. Also, because I want to post this chapter and be done with it, I'll be updating again on June 3rd!


	4. Letter

Final Hikari: -chipping blackened, brunt skin off arms- -black flakes forming pile on floor-

Final Hikari: -chipping blackened, brunt skin off arms- -black flakes forming pile on floor-

Aerith: That's…nasty.

Final Hikari: -innocent smile- It's only nasty if ground up and secretly put in pepper shakers.

Genesis: -smirks slightly- That's not too bad coming from her…

Zack: Your copies eat human hair; of course you wouldn't be bothered…

Genesis: Keyword being _copies_.

Final Hikari: You're just sour that your role in the last chapter was so small… Just watch this: Aerith, do the disclaimer!

Aerith: -brightens- The Final Hikari doesn't own anything Final Fantasy VII.

Final Hikari: See? She doesn't even have a role in the story and she's still chipper.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 3

Letter

Sekai Kurayami was bagging her groceries and handing the clerk her savings card to get the sales when her cell phone rang. She scowled and drew it from her pocket, pulling the earphone up and answered without looking at the number of the person calling.

"Hello?" She asked absent mindedly as the clerk handed the card back and she counted her money. She was used to using cash but didn't like having so many singles.

"Sekai!" Genesis said enthusiastically, "You'll never believe what's happened, you've gotta see for yourself!"

"Is it better than getting the big bottle of peroxide for fifty cents with a manufacturer's coupon?" She asked dryly, bagging the peroxide.

"…You use that stuff?" He asked, completely distracted while sounding disturbed. "It smells horrible. There are a thousand higher quality disinfectants."

"Not cheap ones. My grandmother that uses it, but I keep far away when she does. She got a bottle without a safety thing on top and called the manufactures to yell at them…and she soaks her feet in the stuff to avoid fungus."

"I didn't have to know that." He said grimly, "Did you ever hear about the concept of 'too much information'?"

"It does sound vaguely familiar." She said, pocketing her change and receipt.

"Have a nice day." The woman behind the counter said. Sekai nodded in response as she listened to Genesis chatter. He still hadn't mentioned what was so important. She lifted the two plastic bags off the counter and headed toward the exit.

"So, what's thing miraculous event you're so cheerful about?" She asked when he finished a summary about some form of extreme mailman stalking.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm walking out of the grocery store. I have to put my groceries away before I go anywhere."

"Should I send the chauffeur to drive you?"

She smiled slightly to herself. Only person in Banora who would offer to send her a chauffeur, probably driving some vastly expensive car, to shuttle her around was Genesis. "By the time it gets here everything will be spoiled."

"Then I'll meet you at your house, okay?"

"Good. But you can't tell me over the phone?"

"Eh, not nearly as meaningful…" With that said, he hung up.

It didn't take very long for Sekai to reach her home. After the incident in Sydon, and another few weeks at the Rhapsodos', her grandmother had become her legal guardian. Instead of selling her parents' house they'd decided to stay there. It had been nearly five years since her aunt's death.

She was never told much about what happened. According to the Turk that had attended to the fiasco, one of Shinra's experiments escaped. The company quickly created a cover-up for what happened and gave all the glory to one of the First Class SOLDIERs. Even her grandmother thought her aunt died of a heart attack. The story would have been suspicious if it weren't for her aunt's age and poor healthy habits. Nevertheless, only she and Genesis knew otherwise.

She reached her home and walked around to enter through the back door. Judging by the time, her grandmother was probably asleep. She pushed the door open and left it unlocked. It wasn't long after she placed the grocery bags down on the kitchen table when the sound of tires pulling in on the gravel driveway reached her ears. A door opened and slammed closed while the vehicle was still idling.

Sekai heard footsteps running around to the back and moments later Genesis came bursting through the back door. She smiled to herself as he thoughtlessly let the door slam, smiling as he held a torn open envelope up. She was opening the fridge door to put a carton orange juice inside as he hurried over to where she stood, waving the envelope enthusiastically.

She glanced up at him with a curious smile as she closed the door and took it from him. There were a few sheets of folded paper hastily shoved back inside. She looked at the outer address, unsurprised to see it was addressed to Genesis himself though her expression darkened slightly when she saw the return address.

She caught herself before he noticed. She unfolded the pages, the sick feeling that had rooted itself in her stomach growing. Nothing good would have come directly from Director Lazard of SOLDIER. The upper address on the first page was also from the Director.

Her expression has slackened and she glanced up at him briefly, her eyes doubtfully. He was still grinning and misinterpreted her look saying, "Read it!"

_Genesis Rhapsodos,_

_Your request to attend this year's trials to select new SOLDIERs has been accepted. Your qualifications match those of our other participants. The trials begin on the first of July. They shall go on for exactly one month and begin in Midgar._

_You will be given the basic equipment needed for missions. We allow the purchasing of personal equipment but it must be inspected by Shinra officials and approved. There is also a limit on how much of certain items you can carry._

_For a complete list of items you'll be provided with, please refer to the second page of this document. To confirm your agreement to compete in this year's trials please fill out the enclosed form and send it to the following address._

Genesis watched as her expression went from impassive to fearful. She bit her lower lip nervously when reading the final line on the first page. _The Shinra Company is in no way responsible for accidental injury, maiming, or death outside assigned duties in the trials._ She looked at the other pages, the confirmation form a full three pages long. She was too distracted, her mind beginning to race, to hide her disappointment. Consequently, he noticed.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly, his smile fading. "Are you angry?"

She snapped to attention, forcing a smile as she held the papers and envelope out to him saying, "Of course I'm not angry. It's…great."

"Your hands are shaking." He said flatly. Her eyes had remained anxious even when she smiled and she instead placed the documents on the counter and folded her hands behind her back. She offered another fake smile before averting her gaze.

"I'm just…kind of surprised." She volunteered.

"I've been taking lessons in swordsmanship for the seven years, how could it be surprising?" He asked his tone slightly reproachful. "I submitted the first form three weeks ago! Nobody gets accepted this fast. They don't send these applications out until a few weeks before the trials begin. That means I'm one of their top selections."

She shifted uncomfortably and struggled for words. "I just…well, I didn't think…"

"You don't think I can do it." He interjected.

"No!" She said abruptly, looking up to meet his eyes. "It's just…"

"My parents said the same thing at first." He added sourly.

"I just don't think it's a good idea." She stammered, unclasping her hands and spinning a ring on her pointer finger.

"Why?"

She was reluctant to explain and blinked a few times before saying, "You've never healed normally. They always want you to go to Midgar every few months for something weird. I don't know if it's good for you to join SOLDIER knowing that."

"Sephiroth knew he wasn't normal but he's the youngest SOLDIER ever accepted into the company." He retorted.

Sekai's expression was injured as she exclaimed, "But he's…!"

"A freak? A monster?" Genesis demanded.

"I wasn't going to say that! Stop cutting me off, all I was going to say was 'different'."

"How would you know?" He snapped as she stepped away, "He's dragged off to Midgar just as much as I am."

"I'm sorry!" She groaned, "I'm just worried, alright?"

"But you still don't think I can do it."

"I didn't say that!"

"Yes, you did, you just worded it nicely."

"Please, just keep that in mind." She said dejectedly. "There've only been a handful of times you healed naturally. They were all always really minor injuries, too. It's like a different world in cities like Midgar. It's more dangerous and I don't want to have to wonder if it'd be the last time I ever saw you when we said goodbye."

"Of course it's a different world." He said brusquely. "Little towns like Banora have nothing to offer! It's a waste to stay here."

"Won't you at least miss your family?" She whispered.

"I hate my family; they've done nothing but lie to me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were so unhappy here."

She looked up to meet his eyes after he didn't reply. He tried to look angry but she could tell by his eyes he was also hurt by her words. She shuddered slightly, picturing them with the ominous mako glow. His eyes were medium blue in color with a vague hint of green. _He'd still be the same person even if they did become ice blue…_ She thought, inwardly trying to convince herself.

He reached over and grabbed the papers off the counter, turned, and started walking toward the backdoor. He stopped, his hand on the doorknob as he said, "My parents plan to have a celebratory dinner tomorrow. I doubt you'll want to come, but you're still invited."

Without waiting for her to reply, he left. She didn't move, only stared numbly where he had been standing. All the windows were open so despite the sun growing continually lower in the sky and darkness crawling up over the horizon, she could hear his footsteps followed by the opening and closing of a car door. She felt the tears coming up in the corners of her eyes as the car started up and pulled out of the driveway. When the sound of the engine disappeared down the street she slid to her knees, blinking and letting the tears fall.

Somehow, the foreboding feeling that even if things could return to the way they had been up until then, the pain wouldn't stop. _He'll only be here in Banora for another two months…only a few weeks after school ends. _She felt more tears forming behind her eyes as she continued to think of the repercussions. _If he's accepted he'll be all over the continent and world._

_Who am I kidding? Of course he'll be accepted…he's already a better swordsman than Angeal and everybody else at that academy. And that's the only professional training he's had. He'll never come back to Banora._

_He's taking his first chance to leave this place so sincerely…he's always talked about wanting to achieve great things. I should have realized it back then that there'd be no way he'd stay here. As long as I'm here, in Banora…I'm getting left behind._

_--_

Sekai collected herself quickly after that. She put the rest of the groceries away and left the things for her grandmother's bathroom on the counter. There was no need to deliver those, too… Though it was actually her turn to make dinner she figured her grandmother wouldn't mind ordering a pizza if she asked at the right time.

Since her grandmother hadn't greeted her upon coming home, she figured she'd fallen asleep in the chair in the living room. Since the front door was in the hall beside the living room she'd made a habit of entering through the back if it was likely her grandmother would be asleep. However, it didn't do her any good for returning to her room. She'd have to pass through the living room either way.

She pulled her sneakers off and carried them to muffle the sound of her footsteps on the polished wooden floor. When her parents were alive her mother would polish it manually but her grandmother had started hiring people to come in and do it with a machine since they'd come to live in Banora. She was almost to the hall when the floor creaked under her foot and her attempted at silence foiled.

"Hello Sekai." A pleasant voice came from a chair turned to the window.

_Crap. _"Hi grandma." She said, faking a cheerful tone.

She was about to continue to the hall when her grandmother asked conversationally, "Were you and that boy you spend so much time with fighting?"

_Shit._ "Did you turn your hearing aid up to eavesdrop?" Sekai asked crossly.

Her grandmother chuckled in reply saying, "I suppose it's all a part of puberty."

Sekai's scowl deepened as she grumbled, "Grandmother! I'm not even eleven yet! I'm still _young._"

Her grandmother laughed a second time adding brightly, "I remember when I was your age! I was quite the little hellion."

"Women were just starting to shorten their skirts when you were my age." Sekai sighed, thinking that would definitely end the conversation. Sadly, it didn't.

"Yep, and I always wore the shortest!"

Sekai whacked her forehead with the palm of her hand and sighed as she trudged off to her room. She'd expected her grandmother to defend her actual age with that particular comment instead of go along with it…

She closed and locked her door behind her with a sigh. When she was around seven they redid her room and made room for a desk to put her computer. Between her parents, aunt, and Genesis she'd gotten a collection of computers. She'd recently gotten rid of two old, slow desktop computers and streamlined her computer situation to two laptops. One was from Genesis and consequently had a myriad of Shin-Ra hacking programs on it. The second was clean of unusual programs that she'd purely have for her own use.

She opened it and turned it on, deciding to try undoing a knot she'd gotten in the cord of her headphones while it booted up. She messed with them fruitlessly for a few minutes before loading her encyclopedia program. She attended to her homework for a while before completing as little as she could without getting penalized the following day.

As she was closing her encyclopedia program she eyed the icon of her messenger. She signed it but decided to appear offline. She opened it to see the status of her contacts, slightly surprised to see Genesis wasn't online.

_He mentioned his parents want to celebrate…_ She thought sourly, _I bet he's busy planning that…_

However, Angeal was online. She hesitated a moment before starting a conversation. She couldn't remember ever having a conversation only with Angeal. There were a few times she'd taken part in three-way conversations between that included Geneses, but that was it. She shook her head slightly at how indecisive she was being and opened a conversation window.

Sekai Kurayami: Angeal? Is there life on your end?

Angeal Hewley: Sekai? What's up?

Sekai Kurayami: Some rain clouds, by the look of it.

Angeal Hewley: …Right. Any idea why Genesis isn't on? He's usually lurking about annoying people by now.

Sekai Kurayami: Yeah…about Genesis…

Angeal Hewley: I already know he was accepted to this year's SOLDIER trials.

Sekai Kurayami: Really?

Angeal Hewley: Yeah, I was too.

Sekai grimaced, the sick feeling returning. She stared at the instant messaging window a moment before she started typing again.

Sekai Kurayami: I suppose you're equally excited then…

Angeal Hewley: I wouldn't go _that_ far, but I am proud of the arrangement. But you seem less than happy about this, worried about him?

Sekai Kurayami: More or less.

Angeal Hewley: What happened? Were you two arguing?

Sekai Kurayami: How'd you guess…?

Angeal Hewley: We were waiting at the post office for them to come in. He said if he was accepted he was going to email everybody on his contact list immediately. I would have been content to wait by the mail box, of course…

Sekai Kurayami: …You must have been waiting for hours.

Angeal Hewley: We were.

Sekai Kurayami: Genesis has private tutors, but doesn't that mean you missed school…?

Angeal Hewley: I came down with a sudden, mysterious cold.

Sekai Kurayami: I can just imagine whose idea that was.

Angeal Hewley: I won't ask what happened, but you should talk to him or at least show up at tomorrow night's dinner. He's been really eager to know if he'd be accepted.

Sekai Kurayami: I didn't say anything that bad…it just spiraled out of control quickly…

Angeal Hewley: Did you say you didn't want him to join?

Sekai Kurayami: No.

Sekai's answer was abrupt but she thought about it a moment before resuming typing.

Sekai Kurayami: Well…

Angeal Hewley: Spit it out.

Sekai Kurayami: I think I did say something about it not being a good idea.

Angeal Hewley: Ah, it makes perfect sense now.

Sekai Kurayami: …Wonderful.

Angeal Hewley: Well, if you're trying to avoid him should probably sign off. He's calling my cell phone so he's probably turning his computer on as well. But you really should show up at their celebration tomorrow.

Sekai Kurayami: If I didn't, it'd just make things weird…well, I'd better go…

She didn't wait for a reply before changing her status to appear offline. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the screen for a long moment. She felt awkward avoiding him so bluntly. She tried to convince herself that it was to make things less tense the following day rather than an act of cowardice.

_It doesn't say much for our friendship, him wanting to leave like this. _She thought to herself grimly. _We may have grown up together but I suppose that doesn't mean much to him. If he hates Banora and since I've never wanted to leave Banora…where's that leave me?_

_--_

"That's sickening!" The white haired boy snapped, slamming his hand down on the computer console. His younger brother, who stood by the door on the lookout, flinched slightly at his sudden outburst. The older of the two always had some anger issues.

"What is it?" The younger brother asked quietly, staring up at the computer screen through his long, black bangs.

"They're letting the monsters from Project G into SOLDIER." He growled bitterly.

"But the year's tests haven't started yet…" The black haired boy trailed off, "Do you mean they were admitted to attend?"

"Same difference, you can be sure they'll get in." He glanced over his shoulder asking, "Is anybody coming down the hall?"

The younger of the two poked his head from the small office saying, "No."

"It's not right. They won't even let us near the SOLDIERs that get treated down here."

"What are their names?" The younger brother asked, though he wasn't very interested in SOLDIER. Then again, the age difference between him and his brother probably contributed toward the older brother's determination to join SOLDIER once he was of age. It'd be over ten years until the younger brother could hope to be admitted whereas his brother would have all ready started receiving professional training if he were to join.

"Well, the one, Angeal Hewley seems fairly qualified. I can't believe a monster like Genesis Rhapsodos would get in…"

--

Sekai cursed the boots her grandmother had talked her into wearing. They were black and looked far nicer than her sneakers but the small heel was making walking up the hill more than a little uncomfortable. Once her grandmother learned she was going to a "party," though Sekai herself has said "celebration," she'd insisted her T-shirt and jeans weren't adequate. Fifteen minutes to half hour later she'd managed to keep her jeans but ended up wearing a tailored, white, button-up shirt and a pair of boots her mother has supposedly owned as a child.

She sighed and stopped at the base of the hill. The gradual incline had shifted to sharp one. She usually went through town to get to Rhapsodos Manor but had decided to go around the long way. She was only procrastinating but if she got there when there were already a large amount of people she was less likely to encounter Genesis alone.

So, after taking the nearly deserted path she reached the dirt driveway surrounded in half circular trees bearing unripe dumbapples. The dumbapples were holding to their name that season. They'd grown but were staying blue. The first sign they were getting close to harvest was the white base. Once the bottom was white the rest of the apple would fade to a purplish color, signaling it was ready to be picked.

She stopped and looked up at one of the apples. She squinted and a tiny bit of white was forming at the very bottom. She smiled slightly thinking, _they're such fickle little fruits…on the other hand, the locals would be pretty bored with growing normal apples._ She ducked under a sagging branch and leaned against the stump of a tree, contemplating carrying the boots up the hill. She was about to pull them off when she thought of how ridiculous she'd look to anybody driving past. She grimaced slightly and decided to leave them on.

The last remnants of sunlight had faded from the sky when she reached the gates to Rhapsodos Manor. Two security guards in suits were posted on either side of the gate. She glanced at them and stopped saying, "Umm…do I need identification?"

She was fairly familiar with the family's bodyguards and the woman on the left looked like part of the normal staff but the man on the right was definitely new or temporary. He had a mess of spiky red hair and left his black vest unzipped. He was far from the vision of a competent guard.

He looked over his sunglasses at her saying, "You do."

The female guard elbowed him whispering, "That's Sekai Kurayami, the Young Master's friend."

"How am I supposed to know? You're the babysitter around here."

The female guard's eyebrows knitted into a scowl as Sekai wondered what good could come of wearing sunglasses at night. "At least he's more sensible than certain trainee Turks." She then turned to Sekai and unlocked the gate, letting the left side of it swing open. "Please enter, Miss Kurayami."

"Thanks." She said as the guard and a Turk in training continued to bicker. There were more guards at the entrance to the house but they merely nodded to her without questioning her entry. She walked down the hall and scanned the rooms of anybody she recognized. She wasn't surprised to see most of the people there were adults, most likely friends and colleagues of Genesis' parents. That's how most parties at Rhapsodos Manor, no matter what they were for, happened.

They also usually involved some revenge prank from Genesis. She smiled slightly when she remembered one time it was his birthday and they read about how in the middle ages people would put birds in pies and have them fly out at the dinner table for the guests. It had been extremely difficult to coordinate but they managed to catch a pigeon - the most foul and unclean bird they could think of - and put a sedative in the seed they set up for it. Genesis had also managed to get a tiny shock collar for it. With the culinary assistance of Angeal they made a pie within a deep dish and hollowed out inside.

She remembered how skeptical Angeal was about it but he'd gone along with their plan nevertheless. The night of the party they snuck into the kitchen, warmed the pie in the oven, put the unconscious bird inside, and covered it with filling followed by the crust. Genesis had smuggled the small control to the shock collar the table and right when the pie was served activated it. As anticipated, the bird awoke and jerked from the cake. It splattered the raspberry filling on everyone at the table and the rest of the desserts, leaving it all 'infected.'

_We worked so hard on that one. Genesis wanted to replicate the original scenario exact but we started getting carried away and wanted to make it even more chaotic… _Sekai thought before shaking her head slightly to dismiss the memory, slightly regretting knowing that there wouldn't be any more pranks for them to conspire. The last time they coordinated one Genesis had gotten admonished for 'not acting his age,' but it wouldn't be the matter of maturity that stopped them.

"Sekai." She jumped at the sound of her name and hand placed on her shoulder. She turned around so quickly she nearly bumped into a woman in a backless dress opening a bottle of Don Perignon.

She glared down at Sekai briefly, but dismissed it and returned to pouring her alcohol. Sekai heaved a sigh of relief saying, "Oh, Angeal, it's only you."

He shot her a dry look saying, "He's been looking for you. You had your cell phone off and it forwarded to your home. Your crazy grandmother didn't want to let him off the phone."

Sekai sighed saying, "She is crazy."

"That's not the point." Angeal said matter-of-factly. He pulled her into the dining room adding, "And don't piss that lady off, you'll make her suspicious of you."

Sekai arched an eyebrow questioningly and he shrugged explaining, "She was one of the first to arrive and started treating Genesis like a six-year-old. He's got something with chopped up ant bodies instead of chocolate sprinkles planned for her…"

Sekai grinned despite herself asking, "How'd he manage to collect enough ants under such short notice? I can't see him collecting them, he hates bugs."

Angeal rolled his eyes saying exasperatedly, "I didn't know what he was planning when I collect them from my plants!"

"Wait a second, so you knowingly-"

"He's in the kitchen," Angeal coughed finishing, "'_putting them to use'._ If you want the details, ask him. I'm disappointed he'd use my trust and the dwellers of my gardens for this."

Sekai smiled bemusedly as Angeal left the dining room. The only other people in the room were the assistants of the cooks setting the table. They hadn't paid any attention to the two of them and didn't object to Sekai slipping in to the kitchen. She poked her head into a few large, bustling kitchens before hearing a string of swears and spotting the words "Dessert Kitchen" on one of the doors. She heard another curse and a stomp.

She pushed the door open and saw Genesis with his sleeves rolled up cranking the lid back on a jar full of ants. He had rubber gloves on and swore while smearing another escapee ant on the countertop. She saw a large, square brownie on the far side of the counter. Other than Genesis, his ants, and plates of other covered desserts there was nobody else in the room.

She saw a small black ant making its way across the floor and stepped on it loudly; sliding her foot across the foot to make sure it was dead. Genesis looked up abruptly, momentarily worried, before recognizing her. She smiled saying, "Your ants are escaping."

He smirked sourly saying, "I know." He turned the jar, casting a frustrated look and saying, "I thought you were one of the cooks. I didn't think you were coming."

She looked down at the black smear on the floor where the ant had crawled mere moments ago saying, "My, uh, grandmother held me up."

"I'd take that as a bad excuse if I didn't talk to her a little while ago." Genesis said good-humouredly. "She's completely insane."

Sekai smiled with relief, her nervousness about seeing him again ebbing. _At least he isn't still mad at me… _She eyed the jar coursing with the black bodies of ants, asking, "Can't figure out how to get them out without getting everywhere?"

"Pretty much."

She walked over to the counter to stand beside him saying, "I saw some people on TV getting bees drunk by spraying them with vodka and they we're pretty much immobilized."

He thought about it for a moment before saying, "We'd have to use something sweet."

"Then pour it in the jar, and they'd all either go into diabetic comas, drown, or…"

"Or get plastered." Genesis finished with an evil glint in his eye. "There has to be some alcohol in here. If not we could sneak off to the main kitchen and get some…"

"I'll look in the lower cabinets." Sekai volunteered, glancing at the ones above the counter and sink. "I doubt I can reach those."

Genesis nodded briefly before flipping the doors open and moving down the line without closing them. Sekai smiled to herself and opened the ones below the counter first but the only things inside were industrial sized bags of flour and sugar. She looked over to one of the tables the other covered desserts were set on and noticed cabinet doors below them. She knelt down and opened one, finding it full of colored bottles of all sizes.

"Hey, there are all kinds under here! Any idea what's sweet?"

Genesis looked over and grinned upon seeing the stash and knelt down beside her, reaching in and pushing the bottles apart unceremoniously to read the labels. They weren't even attempting to be quiet but there was enough noise in the other kitchen they weren't noticed.

"Ah ha!" Genesis exclaimed, pulling a large clear bottle labeled 'rum' out. The original label had been torn off and the current one resembled a taped on sticky note with scratchy handwriting. "This'll do fine."

"Perfect!" She looked up at the jar of ants saying, "When we open it, they're going to crawl everywhere though…"

"I learned that." Genesis grumbled, momentarily distracted from their find.

Sekai felt her expression melting into a smirk as she asked, "Is that how you got so many escapees?"

"Yeah, and the last thing I want is for them to get in _my_ dessert." Genesis said as he stood and walked over to the counter.

"We weren't too worried about that when it came to the pigeon in the pie." Sekai replied brightly, following him.

"Only because the dessert planned was crappy in the first place."

Sekai leaned against the counter, staring at the jar before saying, "Well, we can put it in the sink to pour so we can squish any runaways before they get very far. We could also try finding a funnel to put in the mouth of the jar before we pour to stop more from getting out."

Genesis looked at her skeptically asking, "People use funnels in kitchens?"

Sekai shrugged saying, "Angeal and my grandmother have special ones set aside for cooking."

Genesis snorted and shook his head as he said, "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Sekai pulled a few of the drawers above the cabinets open and looked around for a funnel. They were full of various utensils for serving or preparing the food. She shook her head slightly when she saw one drawer containing a set of silver ice cream scoops in various sizes. In the third drawer on the end of the counter she found a funnel.

"This might work." She said, holding the small funnel up. "We'll have to shove it pretty deep in the jar though…"

Genesis grimaced slightly before saying, "Ah well, it'll be worth it."

He extracted two sets of the elbow-length rubber gloves from their plastic box and offered her a set. Sekai smiled and pulled them on asking, "What'd this woman do, anyway?"

"She was the first to get here. According to my mother they were old friends and haven't seen each other in over ten years. The moment she saw me she started with all the infuriating banter about not seeing me since I was the height of a lawn gnome."

Sekai smirked to herself saying, "That'd be more than ten years ago…somehow I doubt she said lawn gnome. Those things are demonic."

"The pelicans are worse."

"I don't know, the little faces and bears on the gnomes are damn creepy. My aunt had them all over her front lawn…"

"Anyway…the moral of it is that nobody pinches cheeks of future First Class SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos, without having some form of revenge wrought upon them." He said stubbornly as he set the jar of ants in the sink.

Sekai burst out laughing asking, "She seriously did _that?_ My grandmother stopped doing that when I was six!"

He cast a sour look grumbling, "_I know._ Keep that up and you're opening the jar."

"No way, I'm pouring. Besides, only I have an excuse not to want to be near the ants." She added loftily.

"What might that be?" He asked as he opened the half full bottle of rum and handed it to her.

She leaned the base of the bottle on the edge of the sink as he placed his hand on the lid. He had the funnel in his other had, ready to slam it in the mouth of the jar before any ants got away. "Well, I'm just a pre-teenage girl from Banora, so I have every right to hate ants." She explained sweetly, "But that isn't a very becoming quality for a SOLDIER operative."

He unscrewed the lid and shoved the funnel in the mouth of the jar quickly as she poured the clear liquid inside. She watched the liquor slowly fill the jar when she noticed an escaping ant crawl up the side of the sink. She glanced up at Genesis, expecting him to see it and smear it but his eyes were distant.

He noticed her concerned expression and looked up to return her gaze. "Are…you okay with that?"

Her first reaction was to laugh it off and agree but she saw the sincerity of his expression. She was silent a moment and found herself gazing into his eyes, picturing the tint of green replaced by the mako glow. _I'd rather…go on without changing anything. But whenever I reach out to him, his smile is fleeting._

She closed her eyes a moment before smiling at him gently. "Yeah."

He returned the small smile as she leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his cheek.

_"There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess." _Genesis quoted calmly, _"Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds."_

"LOVELESS again?" Sekai asked knowingly.

"Nice, you've read enough to recognize it." He said with a mischievous smile.

"I don't know about _that._" She said teasingly. "You're just predictable."

--

Final Hikari: Bwahahahahaha! It should be illegal to have this much fun typing a chapter!

Aerith: Ah, so you're enjoying it for a change!

Final Hikari: -glint in eye, cackles- You bet I am!

Aerith: Wait…the beginning is sad! You enjoy writing dismal scenes…?

Final Hikari: Naturally!

Zack: That's…sadistic.


	5. Mako City

Final Hikari: -is talking to self again- Genesis is 16...so Sekai's 11...since writer's block means cameos…subtract four…and get…

Zack: Don't tell me you stopped because you can't do that in your head…

Final Hikari: -blink- No way! Aerith and Zack are seven in the current timeline?! That is too perfect; nothing goes this well on Plothole Patrol…Is Sector 7 above or below the plate?

Genesis: -.- Anybody who actually played FFVII would laugh at that.

Final Hikari: I'm sure they would. But since I don't own anything Final Fantasy VII or even the three sacred discs that compose the PS1 original, I wouldn't know.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 4

Mako City

Angeal Hewley looked over the checklist they were supposed to be double checking when his friend swore rather loudly. Genesis stared down at his cell phone crossly as the train ducked under a tunnel. Angeal wasn't bothered when Genesis took the window seat at the beginning of the trip, although he should have been surveying his own supplies to make sure nothing was missing. They only had two days in Midgar before the trials started.

"What's wrong?" Angeal asked, uninterested.

"I was trying to take a video to email Sekai." He replied tersely. "She's never been to Midgar, or any city of comparable size."

Angeal arched an eyebrow asking, "With your cell phone?"

"Why would I bring a digital camera or camcorder?"

_Those camcorders are vastly expensive…_ Angeal thought inwardly. "Did you really expect it to come out? How many mega pixels is it supposed to be?"

"Well…what's the most you could buy as of two weeks ago?"

Angeal just stared at his friend asking, "In this country or internationally?"

"Internationally, what else would I pay for?"

"Then two mega pixels."

"They better have sent me the right model then…" Genesis grumbled, holding the phone up to the window as they exited the tunnel. "We're still above Midgar so I might be able to get a better one…"

"The window is probably messing you up." Angeal surmised.

"Hmm." Genesis flipped his phone closed saying, "Think if I try taking it out on the little platform on the back of the car it'll come out better?"

Angeal frowned saying, "They don't let passengers back there when the train is in motion."

"That's nothing a minor distraction can't change." Genesis replied, scanning the train car for something adequate. "Next time the train turns drop something, kick it to get it going, and the tilt should carry it to the front of the train car. You can stand to go find and then that infantryman should turn to pick it up, and by then I can be out the other door."

Angeal sighed saying, "No. Just record something from the top floor of the hotel."

"The hotel is only three stories." Genesis retorted stubbornly.

"I don't have anything to drop!"

"Drop the checklist; you won't even have to kick that."

"No way, what if the pages scatter?"

There was an evil glint in Genesis' eyes as he replied, "That'd be perfect. Do it!"

"Just use LOVELESS, it's a book. It'll go perfect."

"That idiot doesn't know how to handle a book; it's far higher in value than some stupid checklist." Genesis said defensively.

"Where do you have it? I'm sure it's more than convenient to use…"

"I'm not using LOVELESS. Just throw the damn checklist."

"But what if I forgot something?"

"They yell at you and make you use some cheap crap they provide. Now hurry, the turn's coming up!" Genesis said, snatching the small stack of papers from Angeal's hand and tossing them down the aisle.

"Genesis!" Angeal hissed crossly, watching in horror as they scattered.

Genesis squinted asking, "Wow, there was more there than I thought. What did you have mixed up in there?"

"They _were_ notes on my terrarium!"

Angeal felt like banging his head against something. The infantryman, as predicted, turned around and Genesis jumped up and hurried down to the back of the train car. The infantryman looked up and Angeal stood abruptly and stepped into the walkway to complete his role as _"the distraction."_

--

Genesis didn't open the door all the way to reduce the blast of wind that would scatter the pages further, and alert the guard of his position. He slid sideways though the doorway and pushed it closed again. The guardrail around the small platform wasn't particularly high and the train was going fast enough for there to be a decent amount of wind.

Nevertheless, there were a decent amount of screams and swears when the cool night air filled the train car. He noticed a myriad of other papers go flying before he'd closed the door. _Angeal will never get his terrarium notes out of that mess now…_

He pulled his cell phone and waited a long moment for the recording to start. His hair was getting whipped by the wind in front of his eyes, creating a complication in not just getting a small view of the city. He held it away from the train and over the rail to get the most of the city he could. All of he infamous Mako City's lights were on, especially the ones around the Shinra building. The green glow created a veil separating the city's highest building from the night sky.

After he had a little over a minute of footage, his phone rang. Luck wasn't with him, for it was Sekai. He ended the video before answering conversationally with, "Yo!"

"What? Genesis?"

_Crap, she doesn't hear me over the wind. _He turned the volume button up on the side to max asking, "Is that any better?"

"Where are you?" She asked suspiciously.

"Uh…Midgar!"

"No shit." She replied sourly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm enduring a very boring train ride."

"It doesn't _sound _like you're on a train."

"Why wouldn't I be on the train?"

"It sounds pretty dangerous for a train."

At that inconvenient moment the infantryman pulled the door open to yell at Genesis.

"Passengers aren't allowed outside the train when the vehicle is in motion!" The infantryman yelled over the noise. Consequently, Sekai heard the yelling and demanded to know what was going on.

"Under no conditions are civilians given special treatment." The infantryman continued, melting into a rant about Midgar's security codes while pulling Genesis roughly back into the train.

Genesis scowled and jerked his arm from the infantryman's grip saying, "Look, I'm with SOLDIER; I know more than you do about Midgar."

The infantryman blinked but backed off. He stepped back into the train, pulling the door further open. Sekai was yelling at him over the phone the entire time as Genesis stepped back into the train. He returned to his seat quickly, greeted with one of Angeal's infamous executioner's glares. No doubt it'd be accompanied with an infamous lecture…

"You can't go telling people that! The trials haven't even started, and if you're found out you're dead. And some baby is eating my notes…" Angeal paused, casting a crying infant waving a piece of paper in its chubby hand a pained look before adding, "Even if you were part of SOLDIER it doesn't put you above the law."

"Whatever. Just don't go saying _that _too loudly and we'll be fine. It won't be a lie soon enough." Genesis said dismissively before placing his cell phone to his ear. "Sekai?"

"What's going _on_?" Sekai asked anxiously.

Angeal rubbed his brows tiredly. "You're talking to Sekai? I'll have gray hair by the time I'm twenty dealing with you…"

Genesis scowled at him briefly before saying, "Nothing's going on, I'm fine."

"What _were_ you doing?" She asked, unsatisfied with his response though the lack of wind was lightly reassuring. "Was it something stupid on the top of the train?"

"No, it was something stupid on the back of the train." Genesis replied quickly.

Sekai sighed saying, "Well, don't go out there again. I don't need to know why. Are you getting close to the Sector you're staying in?"

"Yep, don't worry."

Angeal shook his head slightly muttering, "How can't she worry….?"

Genesis cast him another brief scowl while listening to Sekai say, "It's Sector 8, right?"

"Right. We were just in Sector 6. The train was out in the normal Sector 7 so we're taking the lines in the Sector 7 below the plate."

"Is that safe? I read the slums of Midgar below the plate are less than savory…"

Genesis rolled his eyes saying, "I'm fine, mother."

Sekai sighed saying, "Sorry."

"We'll be out of here shortly anyway. It's just stopping to pick passengers up."

"Are they all bums and hobos?"

Genesis smirked slightly at her question saying, "Not all of the slums are that bad."

"They're slums." Sekai said dryly. "There can't be very much good about them."

Mere moments after the train eased to a stop and the small run-down platform came into view though the windows on the right side, a woman and small child turned the corner and ran to the train. The child looked out of breath and struggled to keep up. The only particularly unusual thing about their appearances was that they were both wearing white and looked unnaturally pale.

Angeal elbowed Genesis lightly and pointed out the window. Genesis glanced over briefly but was otherwise unconcerned. He noticed Angeal was still looking and scanned the platform. The only other person on the platform was alight brown haired woman with a distant look seated on a bench. Genesis watched as the woman's gaze strayed to the frantic woman. Her expression was fearful as she pounded frantically on the doors until the infantryman walked over and stopped her.

The young girl had caught her breath and stared up at the passengers behind the windows of the train. Genesis noticed her strangely vibrant emerald green. Though he wasn't beside the window anymore the seats were only in the second row from the door. Although she sensed his stare, she looked up, expression desperate. _She looks lost._ He thought to himself randomly, _like Sekai did when her parents went missing…_

He didn't break the gaze immediately. He glanced up when armed foot soldiers clad in gray uniforms with luminescent blue lines turned the corner. They came from the same direction the mother and daughter and had with their weapons ready. He estimated there were about a dozen of them, including the one that lead them with a slightly different uniform.

He furrowed his brows slightly, realizing he couldn't recognize the uniforms. He could identify any set Shin-Ra uniforms, but the ones the soldiers wore weren't those of the Shinra Company. Most of the anti-Shinra terrorist groups weren't structured enough to have uniforms. Relations with Wutai were tense but it was unlikely they'd have any set targets that would be running through the slums of Midgar…

"Are you even listening to me?" Sekai asked irritably after getting to reply.

Genesis blinked, having been completely distracted from the conversation. "Of course!"

"What was I telling you about?" She asked knowingly.

"A…uh…" Genesis was abruptly interrupted when the glass window shattered. He snapped to attention as the small black form of a bullet sped past his face and across the walkway. He looked over as it shattered the other window, causing the passenger there to jump. Sekai's alarmed voice over the cell phone filled his head as he ducked below the window as more bullets were sprayed against the side of the train.

He hadn't taken notice of all the weapons the soldiers were armed with, but more than one was automatic. The bullets didn't go through the metal wall but created deep clerical dents where they hit. To accompany the deafening sound of the gunshots, the rest of the windows on the right side of the train shattered. Glass rained down on the passengers, seats, and walkway of the train car.

Angeal had also ducked below the window in time, leaving the worst of his injuries to a few small cuts from the glass. In the row of seats just in front of them one of the two passengers slumped forward before falling into the runway. Genesis grimaced briefly to see the puddle of blood forming below the person's head. Her eyes were open but completely lifeless.

"What the hell's going on?" Genesis asked once the bullets had stopped, sitting up to see what was going on.

Angeal scowled and reached up to pull his friend's head back below the window. "Don't go trying to be a hero. And tell Sekai you'll call her back before she starts to panic." He added, casting the cell phone on the floor a dry look.

_She must be all ready…_ Genesis thought as he snatched the phone off the floor. "Sekai, I'll call you back in fifteen minutes, all right?"

"What _was_ that sound? What's happening?"

"Time me, you're phone will be ringing at exactly…" He paused, glancing at the time in the corner of the screen on the phone, "eight forty-seven. Don't worry."

"Wait, don't-" He didn't wait for her to finish her reply and flipped the phone closed.

--

Aerith was glad they'd slowed down at first but her heart was still racing. She stared up at the window on the train door as the uniform of a Shinra employee was clear through the window. He had been about to open the door but stopped. Before they had time to regain their bearings, the soldiers that had been following them through the sector appeared.

Her mother turned around quickly when she heard their footsteps. Her eyes filled with terror as they rounded the corner. The soldiers stopped and aimed their weapons, not in any hurry now that their targets were cornered.

From the corner of her eye Aerith noticed a woman sitting on the bench jump to her feet. She was staring at her mother but her mother's eyes were glued to the soldiers. Aerith looked up at her desperately in hope of guidance for where to go next, but she was out of ideas. Ifalna was finally trapped.

One soldier holding a rifle stepped forward, motioning for the others to lower their weapons. He took aim at Ifalna wordlessly, only firing one shot. She dropped to her knees in front of Aerith, wrapping her arms protectively around her young daughter.

Aerith froze as the bullet flew over her head and through a window off to the right. One of the soldiers swore and the rest opened fire. The sound of so many types of fire arms going off at once was deafening. She'd heard gun shots before, but never so close or definitive. Her mother's body was jerked against the cold metal of the train like a rag doll.

Right before Aerith's eyes her dress was getting stained with the dark red of blood. Her arms loosened around Ifalna's shoulders as her eyes drifted closed as the firing ceased. Aerith held on tightly to the material of her mother's dress even as her forehead lolled forward.

"Mommy?" Aerith whispered, her hands beginning to tremble.

She felt a fragile hope form in her mind as her mother's eyes opened. It faded as the pain in her mother's smile became apparent. "Please…don't look so sad, Aerith…"

A small trickle of blood dripped down her mother's chin as she spoke. Her breathing was reduced to sporadic gasps for breath as the soldier with the rifle began to advance. Aerith noticed recognition overtake the expression of the woman who had been waiting in the corner of the platform as she stood.

She watched as her mother's expression became worried once again as the soldier's footsteps grew closer. She braced her elbow against the side of the train, her entire body shaking as she looked over her shoulder. The soldier's face was hidden from view by the helmet but it wouldn't have surprised young Aerith if it was a smirk.

Thought it was almost directly above her, the sound was distant as the small of glass being broken away from train window. She only looked up when a few fragments hit the concrete platform and shattered. The soldier stopped and glanced at the window but didn't react quickly enough. Aerith felt a strong hand close around her shoulder and pull her to her feet. It then lifted her off the ground as another hand slid under her left arm. Despite the abrupt motion the person was being fairly careful since their grip wasn't painful.

Her first reaction was to struggle but her mother was looking up over her head and looked relived. Aerith went limp and let the person lift her through the window as her mother smiled up at her.

She looked up to the person, or rather people that had 'saved' her. She sat between the two of them as they bickered. She understood the relief in her mother's expression to some degree, because they were certainly less threatening looking than the soldiers. They couldn't have been any older than seventeen.

"Have you completely lost it?" The back haired one hissed. "You could have been killed! If that soldier was trained he'd of shot us both when you were hanging out the window like that!"

The one that had reached out the window to grab her shrugged saying, "Well, they weren't very worried about the passengers when they started shooting…"

They were interrupted when the infantryman unlocked the doors to the train car and they slid open. He stepped forward to exit the train but a chain of bullets from an automatic weapon flew into the car. The infantryman was hit countless times in the seconds before he stumbled backward and collapsed.

"Crap." The auburn haired one swore quietly.

--

The soldiers were pouring around the front of the train to open the other entrance. A few others, including the one that seemed to be in charge, hurried through the open door that faced the platform to through the entrance to the train on the side that faced the platform. However, not even one went to the back of the train.

Elmyra hurried over to where the injured woman had collapsed. She knelt down beside her, gently brushing the hair that had fallen in front of her face away. Ifalna's eyes opened but were unfocused and glazed over.

"Aerith…" She whispered weakly, "…please, take care of her."

Elmyra nodded intently asking, "Do you know who the boy on the train was?"

Ifalna shook her head slightly saying, "No. Though Aerith…is also a Cetra… She knows she isn't like other children, but not much more."

She broke into a spasm of coughing, blood coming up and splattering as she did. Elmyra had watched in horror when Ifalna was getting shot. She was beyond hope; there was no point in questioning why her only concern was her daughter.

Ifalna recovered slightly, forcing her eyes to open a final time. "Never let them take her."

--

Genesis watched as the young girl hurried to the back of the train with the other passengers as directed. Only two soldiers had entered the train and one was searching the infantryman's body for the key card to unlock and open the other door. The other had his rifle ready and aimed at the passengers.

"Close the door on the right and I'll take care of the rest." Genesis said quietly when only a few passengers who had yet to assemble in the back remained.

Angeal cast him a worried look but Genesis continued with, "C'mon! This is the kind of thing we'd be assigned to do in SOLDIER when in Midgar."

Angeal sighed muttering; "Only better equipped…"

"Not necessarily." Genesis shot back as Angeal stood, placing a foot on back of the empty seat in front of them. He jumped over it, causing the rifle armed soldier to look away from the passengers and Genesis.

Genesis reacted quickly, stepping up on his seat and reaching behind the bags on the overhead rack. The hilts of two wrapped swords were pressed against the wall. One was plain and the other with a basket style hilt. Genesis pulled it from behind the luggage and jerked it from the scabbard left handed.

_Nice way to christen a sword…_ He thought to himself briefly, the sword long enough to cover the length between him and the soldier. He leaned forward, shoving the through the soldier's chest. He retracted it quickly, the dark red blood covering the silver edge of the blade. The soldier fell backward limply and hit the front wall of the train. He slid down to the floor, leaving a red smear on the white metal behind him. Genesis switched the sword to his right hand and jumped to the floor.

The second soldier that had been searching the dead infantryman's body reacted slowly to his superior's demise. He hardly had his weapon lifted to a firing position when, without hesitation, Genesis whipped his sword forward, slashing a deep wound across the soldier's neck and chest. It proved to be a particularly messy attack and sent spatters of blood all across the floor and Genesis himself. He watched as a small drop flew up and landed on the transparent gem on the hilt of his sword. He squinted at it momentarily; sure the gem became slightly clouded the moment the blood came in contact with it.

"All the doors are locked." Angeal said, surveying the carnage.

"Good." Genesis nodded to the one that lead to the front of the train saying, "Is there a driver or does it automatically restart?"

Angeal shook his head saying, "The technology isn't _that_ advanced. But the driver should be through the door the infantryman was guarding. I'll go tell them."

Angeal messed with the key card panel a moment before the doors slid open. Genesis only had a brief view of the cockpit before they slid closed again. He turned around and looked to the back of the train where the surviving passengers had gathered by command of the soldiers.

The results weren't SOLDIER quality that was for sure. He didn't take the time to count them individually but civilian fatalities and causalities were bad. Nevertheless, among the uninjured was the small girl that had been escaping with her mother. He hadn't paid any attention to her appearance and apparently wasn't going to get the chance to since there was a sudden pounding on the door. He probably wouldn't be able to recognize her if he saw her anywhere else.

Genesis looked through the broken window on the door to see it was the other woman that had been waiting on the platform. He paused a moment before letting her in, casting a weary glance to the remaining soldiers that were rushing around the back of the train. Luckily, the back windows weren't large enough for full grown people to fit through and they couldn't hoist themselves through them.

The train had started to move and was slowly crawling from its stationary position. He placed his sword down on two of the rows of seats. It was long enough to completely bar the walkway. The doors to the cockpit slid open as Angeal reentered the train car, another infantryman with him. Genesis glimpsed the soldiers running to the door before grabbing the handle on the door and pulling it open manually.

Relief overcame the woman's expression as he reached out, grabbing her forearm and pulling her in. She stumbled while stepping over the foot high gap and collapsed inside the train on her knees. The soldiers were close behind her and began shooting a moment too late. Genesis slammed the door closed and grabbed his sword as the train ducked back under ground.

Angeal shot him a sour look muttering, "I told you to cut the heroics."

Genesis shrugged and pointed the tip of his sword to the dead infantryman. "Look what happened to him when he didn't let someone aboard."

Angeal looked like he wanted to bang his head against a wall as he asked, "Since when did you believe in karma?"

"About five minutes ago?" Genesis suggested dryly as the woman hurried to the back of the train.

Their conversation died as they watched her fall to her knees, pulling the small girl into an embrace. Angeal looked at him questioningly but Genesis was as clueless as he was on their connection. Even though, he was still slightly curious as to why they were being chased by unidentifiable soldiers in the first place…

--

Final Hikari: Crap, late update! I'm sorry. . I suffered some writer's block and writer's laziness so I didn't get the chapter to my beta on Saturday like I was supposed to…then my new DSL didn't work and Verizon had me on hold all night test my connection. -.-

Genesis: In other words, you're blaming everything on Verizon.

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- Sort of. I couldn't sign on with Dial-Up cuz of their tests…but I did talk to this nice Christian boy named Joseph.

Zack: An American on tech support? In Midgar it was always people from Wutai.

Final Hikari: -.- Of course not, I'm being sarcastic. After I'm on with them too long I really can't understand their accents.

Genesis: …Right. Can we end this now?

Final Hikari: No. To those of you who have broadband and want to laugh at a politically incorrect cartoon regarding Indians on tech support, open Google. Search Foamy the Squirrel, click the Friends of Foamy website, find the list of episodes, and watch Tech Support I, II, and III. Beware of cursing and racist comments in the videos. I make no claim of ownership to them.

Aerith: …This chapter really came out gory…

Final Hikari: It did. Sad part is that I listened to ballads like Suteki Da Ne most of the time.


	6. Glancing Back

Final Hikari: -muttering to self- Nero is 23...damn these young characters. -.- sits down with calculator- So he was…20 in CC? So then before the time jump in CC… if Genesis is 16 in this chapter…Nero is practically shitting himself in the current timeline…

Zack: Five-year-olds shit themselves? Only your cousin with ADD was still in diapers at that age…

Final Hikari: -in her own world- So Weiss…who's like…however many years older than Nero I damn well please to make him…oy, these Tsivets are difficult! Math is my weak point, why do they prey on that? -.- -muttering- Besides, no matter how you slice it Genesis is OLD after DoC. -throws calculator against wall with sigh-

Genesis: What was that? -.-

Final Hikari: You heard me! No matter how I mess with character ages you're always 30ish in DoC even after getting vegatized for three years.

Genesis: -.-

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 5

Glancing Back

Angeal Hewley was starting to feel slightly impatient as he waited outside his friend's door. It was just like Genesis to oversleep and think nothing of it. It wouldn't have mattered since they weren't taking transportation provided by the company, if it weren't for the speech the director of SOLDIER, Lazard, was to make.

All of the newly accepted SOLDIERs were allowed to visit home for one week before they were officially members of the organization. Though many had chosen to stay in Midgar to explore the city or the Shinra building, at least half had decided to see their families after nearly two months away. Though the trials only spanned one month, those accepted left for Midgar halfway though June. There was another week of waiting in the infamous Mako City after the trials for the results. The first week of actual duty was the third of August.

Angeal was interrupted from his thoughts when the door swung open and Genesis sprinted past him down the hallway. "C'mon, we're going to be late!" Genesis shouted.

Angeal blinked as the door slammed shut and followed his friend. "Why are you still in uniform?" he asked. "We're going home, not on a mission…"

"Obviously. You think I'd forget?" Genesis replied dryly. Angeal decided he wouldn't reply to that. "I want to ask Sekai if I look like a legitimate SOLDIER now."

Angeal shook his head slightly and asked, "Do you go out of your way to annoy her? All your crazy schemes have been enough of a bad influence for her to be growing up around."

Genesis smirked. "You're_ still_ sour about those ants?"

"You ground them up and put them on somebody's dessert," Angeal said with a sigh. "I don't hold on to resentment like that, but it was still disappointing."

"Whatever," Genesis said dismissively. "My parents organized our transportation. We're leaving Midgar by helicopter, then we'll land in a nearby city. Your mother is supposed to be waiting there with her car, right?"

"Yeah," Angeal replied. "Isn't yours?"

Genesis scoffed. "Of course not. She's arranged the chauffeur to pick me up, but I don't think long distance traveling is part of his contract."

Angeal glanced at him skeptically. "Private chauffeurs are that picky?" he asked.

"Only when their contracts are through my mother. She makes _everything _difficult."

"You only dislike them more and more, don't you?"

"They don't give me any reasons not to," Genesis said stubbornly. "I'm more than happy to be away from them. I wouldn't bother returning to Banora if Sekai weren't there."

Angeal didn't reply. They were nearing the area the speech was to be held and there was no need to inflame the situation further. He'd reluctantly given up on trying to make Genesis find an accord with his parents. No matter how much Angeal had tried to lecture him, Genesis was far too stubborn to pay attention if the conversation shifted to his parents.

--

Sekai Kurayami scowled at the blue screen of her computer. It had finally let her connect to the Internet, after hours of messing with it, only to lapse into an endless session of the blue screen of death. It was beyond her how Genesis didn't have a computer crash a day with all the Shinra hacking programs in it…

_Then again, _she thought sourly, _he could have a computer crash a day and still afford to replace them. _She leaned back in her chair, closing and reopening the laptop, and was unsurprised that the screen stayed the same. She closed it again, flipped it over in her lap, and held down the switch with one hand, attempting to slide her fingernails under the edge of the battery with the other.

_He's an actual SOLDIER now…I bet he'll have authorization now to access half of the information he used to hack for . _She sighed as she flipped the battery out and the power light of the computer went off. She placed it back on the desk and held the power button down for ten seconds. Tech support had taught her that particular trick.

She smiled to herself as she remembered Genesis' reaction when he found out she'd called _tech support. _At the time, he'd been quite insulted she hadn't just called him. Although, he _would _have been easier to understand than the representative in Wutai she had talked to. She leaned back in her chair and slid the computer away from the edge of the desk.

She yawned and stretched idly, deciding to give her computer a break. It was unlikely it would work again anyway. She pulled her sneakers on before heading down the hall to the kitchen to hunt for anything worthy of a snack.

She noticed her grandmother searching for something out the window as she passed through the living room. Sekai stopped, hand on her hip. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"There's this really hot guy with silver hair walking around the house!" her grandmother replied enthusiastically.

Sekai scowled slightly. "Silver hair?" she asked.

"Yep. It's simply gorgeous," her grandmother sighed dreamily.

Sekai rubbed her eyes tiredly. She hadn't slept very well the night before. "Is he here to examine that little mako sinkhole in the backyard?"

"Who cares? That _hair_ is _amazing._"

"How old _is_ this guy?" Sekai asked suspiciously.

Her grandmother shrugged. "Perfect age…," she trailed off.

"How old?" Sekai repeated irritably, tapping her foot with impatience.

"I don't know. Probably around the age of that boy you spend so much time with…"

Sekai felt sick, tempted to stop while she was…well, she wasn't quite ahead of anything. She was way behind. "Genesis?"

"Yes, that's his name! The landlord's son, right? I'd imagine this one is around his age."

"Ugh," Sekai groaned, the sick feeling confirmed and justified. "Grandma, that's _disgusting!_ If this guy is even close to sixteen…he's…oy…," Sekai shuddered at the thought. "So much younger than you that I can't even do the math in my head…"

"Well, go find him if you're interested too," her grandmother said, turning around with her hands on her hips.

"I'm _not_ interested!" Sekai snapped, dropping her hand to her side so they mirror each other. "I'm too young to date in the first place!"

"Humph, you sound like some of the girls I knew when I was your age…," her grandmother rambled as Sekai walked brusquely into the kitchen. "And that was a _very_ long time ago. Girls nowadays should be more free spirited!"

Sekai opened the refrigerator with a sigh and grabbed one of the bottles of water from the door. Between her computer and grandmother, she was getting a headache. She screwed the cap off and leaned against the counter, sinking deep into her thoughts as she sipped the icy water.

_Silver hair…how weird. I don't think they even sell dye that color in Banora. Besides, what's so impressive about hair? It's not like it stands out that much. I guess if it was long enough it could leave an impression…_

Sekai winced when an unpleasant memory filled her mind's eye. _Long, luminescent silver hair that was apparent even in the dark._ She felt slightly sick and the water in her mouth began to taste acidic at the memory. She cranked the cap on, and leaving the bottle on the counter, walked over to the back door attentively.

She placed her hand on the doorknob but stopped. She glanced over her shoulder into the living room to make sure her grandmother wasn't watching. Luckily, her grandmother was distracted getting a roll of film into an old camera. She twisted the knob and opened the door slowly to stay silent.

_She'd better not try to take pictures of this guy_… Sekai thought grimly.

She stepped out on the worn stone steps and pulled the door closed behind her. The backyard had become chaotic over the last few years, overgrown and drowned in weeds. Only the path was still visible, made of thick, colorful stone. Sekai vaguely remembered her father had ordered it as a surprise for her mother one spring when remodeling the gardens.

She stepped down onto the path while scanning the area. The yard was large enough to have three trees, two flowering and one Banora White. It had produced a decent amount of apples when it decided to bloom. The dumbapples had set a record for stupidity the previous year when they'd bloomed in the middle of winter. Surrounding the trees were numerous flowering bushes.

She squinted when she thought she saw a flash of silver by the Banora White tree. The pale bark might have been deceiving her, especially because it was near the small glowing spot. She suspected the green light seeping out of it was mako. She always felt lightheaded and sick when nearing it. It wasn't the only one in town, but Genesis' parents had hired Shinra infantryman to keep their existence unknown.

Nevertheless, she stepped over the foot high wall dividing the path from the gardens and pushed through the plants to get to the tree. Risk of nausea or not, she was more interested in seeing who the intruder was.

When she was small and her mother was in charge of the gardens, they were always orderly and watered precisely at seven in the morning with the sprinkler. However, since her grandmother had gained control of the house, the sprinklers had rusted themselves into discolored patches on the grass. Her grandmother wasn't picky and just wanted color, so she planted a myriad of flowering bushes. Sekai hadn't thought they were going to get very large. She also guessed they might die in the soil because they were so close to the ocean.

Sadly, neither suspicion was accurate. The plants had overtook the garden and adapted very well to Banora's soil qualities. To her dismay, that also meant spiders took up residence in the large leaves and flowers. Their webs stretched mainly between the plants, so she always moved through them with great care.

She had nightmares about walking into one and catching the web in her hair and then finding the spider and any other unpleasant guests in her clothes later on… She was distracted from all the foul scenarios she was imagining when a small crack sounded behind her. She froze, listening intently.

_A crack…it wasn't that loud. It must have been a stick or twig. Even a squirrel could make a sound like that…but if grandma saw someone walking around… _She swallowed involuntarily, disliking the idea of any person with silver hair walking around. _A guy with silver hair Genesis' age…_

_Grandma __**really**__ needs to stop looking at guys Genesis' age…it's disgusting and simply wrong._ Sekai thought randomly. _I probably shouldn't bring him or Angeal over anymore…not that I'll be seeing them very often…_

She scolded herself inwardly for the gross lack of focus when a heavy footstep sounded near her, rustling the dead leaves on the ground. She felt a nervous fear forming in the back of her mind as the footsteps continued. She looked around nervously, unable to determine which direction they were coming from.

The footsteps were getting close but suddenly stopped. She heard breathing from directly behind her and jumped. She whirled around with a gasp and fell backward when she realized no one was there. She'd fallen into a small patch of flowers between bushes and crushed most of them. Her heart was racing as she scrambled to her feet, deciding firmly to get into a thinner part of the garden where she could see around the plants easier.

She dusted her clothes off to make sure no insects had crawled on her. While she was bent over and attempting to control her thoughts, a hand settled over her shoulder. The grip was steely and fingers long. Her eyes widened as she screamed, jerking away from the person and bolting.

She ran as quickly as she could out of the garden, glancing over her shoulder only when the house was in plain view. At the precise moment she looked back forward, she ran right into a thick spider web, with a large, black spider in the center. She shrieked in disgust, but imagined the spider getting in her mouth and silenced herself immediately. She tripped over the small wall and tumbled to the stone path, skinning her knees in the process. She sat up immediately, desperately trying to pull the web from her hair. She could _feel _the spider crawling _through_ her hair and nearing her neck.

"Stop," a commanding voice said from behind her. She froze and instantly stopped clawing at the silky web. "You're only entangling the web."

A hand reached down, hooking its fingers under the web and pulling it off in one large piece. She blinked in surprise, perplexed at what was going on. _Genesis…? No, Genesis' voice is completely different…but who else would save me from a spider? …Or at least not laugh and think it's ridiculous…_

She felt the person's fingers slide through her hair and under the collar of her shirt. She felt her face flush as she yelled, "What is wrong with you, perv-" She stopped, half turned around as the person removed his hand, holding the large spider by a leg between his fingers.

She stared at the spider for a moment in disturbance. Her first thought was regarding its massive size, three inches in diameter including the legs, and the fact it had been crawling in her hair and down her shirt. Her secondary reaction was a grimace as it struggled to free itself from the gloved hand, legs flailing and little spider ass shaking.

The stranger flipped his hand and let go of the leg so it tumbled into the palm of his hand. It struggled to right itself as he crushed it in his fist, then flipped the smeared remains off his glove to the ground. He accomplished all of this in no more than three seconds.

Sekai swallowed and stood, her gaze slowly rising. _SOLDIER…? _She wondered, the uniform bearing similarities to that of a SOLIDER. His knee boots and long coat weren't part of the normal uniform - so she'd learned from Genesis - but everything else was the same.

Her expression darkened when she met his icy stare. Her suspicions that he was a member of SOLDIER was confirmed by the ominous mako glow emanating from his pale blue eyes. She found her dislike of the signature mako blue growing every time she saw them.

She suddenly felt dizzy and sick, as though she'd just inhaled some of the mako leaking through the ground near the Banora White tree. A sudden pang of pain flooded her mind and she stumbled to her feet, squeezing her eyes tightly shut against the man's intense blue stare. She took a deep, painful breath and hurried toward the front of the house. Her vision was blurry and she tripped over a tree root in the side yard.

For the second time she felt herself falling forward, but managed to steady herself before landing on her face. The pain increased as she dropped gently to her knees, unpleasant memories she'd been trying to block out for years flooding her mind.

--

Genesis drummed his fingers against the side of the car impatiently while the new chauffeur struggled to collect his information. The police officer also looked irritated at how long it was taking.

"I didn't hire a driver to speed and get pulled over…," Genesis grumbled, looking out the window. They were already on one of the dirt country roads leading into Banora. "We're only about fifteen minutes from my house if we walked."

Angeal didn't look particularly bothered by the situation. "How much longer could it possibly take him?"

"Well, the cop will probably go back to his car to write the ticket and that'll take a while. Then the chauffeur gets a lecture and we're pushing ten minutes delay time," Genesis explained.

Angeal shot him a dry look. "You sound like you've got a lot of experience with tickets…,"

"Of course, I've gotten my parents to let me drive underage for years."

Angeal's expression went from skeptical to disturbed before his friend finished his sentence. "Something tells me your morals are really lacking, because I'm not surprised…"

"Good," Genesis said, opening the door on his side and stepping out. "Let's go. We can get the normal chauffeur to drive you to your mother's and me to Sekai's."

"…Or we could keep walking," Angeal suggested while following his friend.

"That's a little too much fresh air for one day."

Angeal rolled his eyes. Genesis was a lot more at home in Midgar. "Do you know how many times _I've_ walked up the hill to your house and then headed to the beach or wherever else you wanted to start trouble that day?"

"Driving is faster."

As Genesis calculated, they did reach his house before the chauffeur did. Genesis randomly noticed there was only guard posted at the gate and that her trainee Turk was missing. He waved to her and she waved back, quickly turning to unlock the gate.

Genesis hurried up the hill. "What happened to your assistant you always yelled at?" he asked.

"Seems like he made the Turks," she said with a smirk. "That or they got tired of him sending them applications every few days and decided to bring him up to Midgar. I believe he hasn't left Banora yet. He has to tell the girl he was giving shooting lessons why he'll be disappearing."

"Shooting lessons?" Genesis asked skeptically.

"Well…he's hellbent on using that nightstick of his, but he's required to have basic knowledge of pistols and other firearms. Apparently, a girl in Banora wanted to learn marksmanship," she explained calmly.

"…Right…," Genesis replied. "That's less than normal."

The Turk smiled sweetly in response. "My father taught me how to shoot when I was five. Not all girls are prim and feminine, Mr. Rhapsodos. Some of us hope to join organizations like the Turks." She surveyed his attire and said sarcastically, "Nice uniform…don't they have a rule against walking around in uniform when off duty?"

"It'd be a pretty stupid rule," Genesis said sourly, tired of defending the uniform.

"Who's he teaching?" Angeal asked, reaching the gate and stopping. "I might know her if she goes to the local school."

The Turk shrugged. "I'm not sure what her name is. She's pretty young though."

"You've been here more than ten years," Genesis said jokingly, "Exactly what _is_ young?"

She rolled her eyes. "You may be in SOLDIER but you aren't too old for me to tell your mother about incorrigible behavior," she teased.

"I can leave the country faster than she can catch up with me," Genesis said brightly.

"She's younger than you, how's that?"

"Interesting," Angeal said passively.

"We'd better get going now. See you later," Genesis said.

"Good day, Mr. Rhapsodos, Mr. Hewley."

_Well…it couldn't be Sekai…she doesn't like Shinra enough to ask one of their employees for training. No reason she'd want to learn how to shoot a gun either._

They decided not to go into the house because Genesis wanted to put off meeting with his parents. Instead, they went directly to the garage. To Genesis' displeasure, the limo and chauffeur were already in use by his mother. They ended up exiting the other gate and heading into town on foot.

Angeal didn't seem to mind, but he was practically impossible to annoy. Genesis wouldn't have minded either if it weren't for all the people staring at him. Wearing his SOLDIER uniform into town was proving to be increasingly bothersome.

The town of Banora sloped further down toward the sea, though Sekai's house wasn't that far down. Angeal's house was a lot lower and was subsequently at higher risk of flooding during a bad storm. Sekai's parents had always been well-off, especially on her father's side. Though the larger portion of her inheritance was frozen until she was eighteen, her grandmother had more than enough to maintain the land.

They turned the corner down the street leading to Sekai's house, Genesis briefly relieved to be in a completely residential portion of the town. There weren't any pedestrians on the street, thus nobody to stare at him. He was suddenly distracted from his thoughts by a shrill scream. He looked up abruptly, his gaze settling on Sekai's house.

Angeal looked surprised, but after a second scream echoed down the street Genesis didn't wait for his friend; he ran the rest of the way and hoisted himself up and over the front fence. He landed effortlessly, arriving in time to see Sekai fall to her knees and double over.

He hurried over to where she collapsed. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her head, her breathing rough and coming in gasps. He gently pulled her arms away, but she instantly pushed him away. He blinked in surprise, watching as she looked up and relaxed. Her eyes were unfocused as her tears overflowed and slid down her cheeks.

"He's the one…," she whispered breathlessly.

"What?" Genesis questioned, completely clueless as to what she was saying.

"He killed her! He nearly killed me! I never really remembered what he looked like but then when I saw him, I remembered…"

The relief in her eyes disappeared as heavy footfalls rounded the corner of the house. She twisted around to see who it was, swallowing fearfully. Despite being weaponless, Genesis straightened and placed a hand on her shoulder protectively.

Genesis watched as the person rounded the corner, hardly believing what he was seeing. Angeal took that moment to slam through the gate, also surveying the yard to see what was going on. Confusion registered on Angeal's face as he voiced what they were both thinking: "SOLDIER First Class, General Sephiroth?"

"Are you on duty?" Sephiroth asked flatly, staring down at Genesis indifferently.

_Crap, the uniform __**is**__ getting me into trouble…_ Genesis thought randomly, picturing Angeal's mild 'I told you so' expression. "Uh, no. We're new recruits."

"Genesis…" Sekai muttered, sounding fearful.

"Shhh," Genesis said dismissively.

"How could you-"

"Be quiet!" he snapped.

"I see. You shouldn't be in uniform, then," Sephiroth said, ignoring Sekai's expression of outrage.

_Dammit._ Genesis thought to himself sourly, having lost count of all the times he'd gotten in trouble thus far. "Yes, sir." He tried not to look down at Sekai. She'd turned around to stare up at him in disbelief and betrayal. He set his jaw firmly, only hoping she didn't say something foolish in front of the General. Things were already looking bad for any future promotions.

He pushed Sekai away gently and said, "If you need my assistance, I'm willing to…"

"Genesis!" Sekai yelled, reaching up and grabbing his arm.

He looked down at her guiltily, glancing up at the General and muttered, "Sekai, let go."

"If you want to assist, start by getting her out of the way…I don't need civilians interrupting my investigation."

"…Right," Genesis mumbled, to Sekai's dismay.

"Excuse me?" Sephiroth questioned.

"I meant, yes sir," Genesis replied respectfully.

At that moment, a window on the side of the house suddenly slammed open. An older woman, Sekai's grandmother, Genesis realized a moment later, poked her head out the window. Her eyes settled on Sephiroth, and she leaned further out and waved. "Yoo-hoo! Sweet stuff!" she called.

After an awkward moment, Sephiroth's reproachful stare strayed to the elderly woman. She noticed immediately and wolf whistled, calling, "Oh la la! Just hold on, I'll get the door!" With that said, she ducked back through the window with an agility a woman her age simply shouldn't have possessed.

Genesis blinked, unsure what had just happened. Something about it was too agonizingly random and disturbing to register immediately. Then the front door popped open and Sekai's grandmother - completely covered with a pink knitted shawl - came dashing out. She inspected the residents of her yard, starting with Sephiroth and ending with Angeal. Her expression was worried momentarily when she saw Sekai on her knees. "Sekai? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sekai said impassively, looking away. Genesis felt another pang of guilt at the flatness in her voice. "I tripped."

"Mm, if you're sure. Now! You're all welcome to come inside!" the grandmother said, fluttering her eyelashes at the General.

"No thank you," Sephiroth refused flatly, but Sekai's grandmother skipped over brightly and pushed him along.

"Nonsense! I insist!"

Angeal looked worried as he followed. "Uh, Mrs. Kura-" he started.

"_Miss_ Kurayami," the grandmother interrupted cheerfully. Genesis grimaced, wondering what the record for staying Third Class in SOLDIER the longest was.

"Sekai?" Genesis asked, gently pulling her to her feet.

She stumbled forward momentarily, still unsteady on her feet. She took a deep, unsteady breath before straightening and stepping back. He hesitated a moment before reaching out to brush away the bangs that covered her eyes. "Hey, I didn't mean…"

She caught his hand surprisingly quickly and pushed him away. She wiped her free arm over her eyes briefly before looking up at him, forcing a smile. The hurt in her eyes made the attempt glaringly obvious. "I'm glad you're back. The uniform looks great."

She turned away and hurried toward the haphazardly swinging door. Her grandmother hadn't even bothered to close it when ushering General Sephiroth in. He followed her swiftly, grabbing her wrist before she reached the door.

"I'm sorry," he said, though she refused to look at him.

"It's alright," she lied, pausing for a moment. "Could you…let go?"

He grimaced but complied, all too aware of her choice of words. He assumed he had sounded even more brutal when making the same request. He cursed at himself quietly before following, only at a slight distance.

--

Sekai hurried into the house, letting the door close behind her. She didn't feel like waiting for Genesis. She almost wished she had, though, when she heard her grandmother's chatter as she guided Sephiroth into the kitchen. _What would grandpa have thought of this when he was still alive…?_

"My little girl's been fishing, eh?" her grandmother asked as Sekai rounded the corner and entered the small kitchen. Her grandmother was hunting through the cabinets and setting an old box of cookies she'd located on the small kitchen table. "And what a fish you are!" she added mischievously.

'The fish', Sephiroth, was reluctant to sit down and edged away, towards the back door. His hand rested on the unnaturally long blade at his side. Her grandmother noticed and fluttered her eyelashes invitingly. "It's bath time, you know…," she cooed. "I have an extra large bathtub. I'm pretty sure it'll fit you, me, and that sword of yours…"

At that moment, the front door swung open a second time and Genesis came in. By the look on his face, he'd only caught part of her grandmother's comments, but enough to watch his future in SOLDIER spiral downward even more.

Angeal looked sick as he intervened. "Mrs. Kurayami…maybe you should…uh…"

"Isn't it time for your nap?" Sekai said forcefully. She was slightly smug, though, that her grandmother seemed to be getting to the great _General Sephiroth. _Genesis looked to be the most horrified though.

"Ah, right…," her grandmother trailed off, turning to Sephiroth. "Don't like bathtubs? Mmm, neither do I. The corners always stab just when we get to the good part, don't they, sugar?" If Genesis didn't look ready to vomit, Sekai would have insisted she leave them alone, but she decided vindictively to let him squirm a while longer. "So then why don't you and I go practice some math?" her grandmother continued cheerfully.

"…Math…?" Sephiroth questioned, finally speaking. Probably in defense.

Her grandmother beamed at being acknowledged. "Yup. We can add the bed, subtract the clothes-"

"Grandma!" Sekai yelled, burying her face in her hands. Genesis' miserable expression was refreshing after how he'd acted, but this was starting to pull her dignity down, too.

"Divide the legs and multiply the fun!" her grandmother finished quickly.

"Grandmother! Get out of here!" Sekai snapped, pointing to the stairs. Her grandmother skipped out of the room cheerfully. When she passed Genesis, he practically jumped away. Sekai couldn't blame him. Especially when her grandmother stopped to blow a kiss at Sephiroth before departing.

Sekai sighed tiredly, looking at the dusty boxes and bags of cookies her grandmother had found. She glanced at the dates on the first few before chucking them all in the trash. _I am definitely taking complete control of what goes in and comes out of this kitchen…_ She thought grimly, noticing that one of the boxes was probably purchased by her parents. It was nearly ten years out of date.

"Sorry…," Sekai grumbled to her horrified guests. Sephiroth's hand seemed to be twitching to his sword and Angeal just looked weary. Poor Genesis, in addition to his horror-struck expression, looked slightly nauseous.

"She's…uh…got…." Sekai stammered, trying to think of a disease that would justify such insane behavior. "Slight signs of insanity."

"…I see…" Angeal said, the only one to speak up.

"I don't think we have any…non-expired cookies." Sekai said as she sat down at the table. By their expressions, she doubted they'd want to eat for a very long while.

"That's fine…" Genesis trailed off, sitting down at one empty chairs at the table.

Silence fell in the kitchen and none of them were willing to break it. Genesis and Angeal still looked sick, and Sephiroth probably wasn't interested enough to say anything. Meanwhile, the memory Sekai had tried to forget was still prominent in her mind.

It was strange it had come back so abruptly and vibrantly. Nevertheless, the strangest part was probably what it was about. Between Genesis and the news on the TV, she'd heard a lot about First Class SOLDIER operative Sephiroth. She never noticed that very little was said about his origins, though. The person she remembered had to be the same as the SOLDIER standing in her kitchen.

It was strange to think the person who had murdered her aunt had just been hit on by her grandmother, a woman at least…five times his age. She remembered the mako glow of the intruder's eyes and luminescent silver hair. Only First Class SOLDIERs got the mako injections, so it didn't make sense Sephiroth would have been exposed to enough mako at a young age to have a notable glow.

Genesis was suspect of his own origins at times, but he was always normal. Other than the strange slowness to heal and having to go to Midgar when he was younger for checkups instead of anywhere local, there wasn't anything obviously amiss. She tried not to picture the trace of green in his eyes replaced by the icy mako glow.

The distraction of her grandmother was fading and she felt her thoughts slipping back into disarray. _Stop…I have to focus._ _No matter what everybody says, there is something different about him. Normal children don't go on killing sprees only to be carried back convulsing to Shinra scientists._

At least, that's what she wanted to convince herself of. She'd never had a reason to distrust Genesis, but she did briefly wonder if she was wrong. Her indecision was growing with every painfully slow passing second. She bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut anxiously, deciding an a whim to speak her thoughts.

"Sephiroth," she said, making Genesis cringe at the lack of a proper title, "have you ever been to Sydon?"

He stared down at her, expression empty. He didn't say anything for a long moment, causing her to doubt he was going to reply at all. "I have been to many places in this country," he said finally.

Sekai clutched her hands in her lap as she felt them beginning to tremble. Angeal noticed the movement, though Genesis too distracted to. "I think we've…uh…_met _before." She paused, summoning up any bravery that remained. She had the sinking feeling Genesis wasn't going to defend her on this after the last display of 'loyalty.'

"You murdered my aunt," she blurted nervously. "In Sydon, six years ago."

"…Excuse me?" Sephiroth said flatly.

"It was in August, right before the rainy season started," Sekai stammered. "You went after me next because I followed you up to the second floor. A SOLDIER helped me escape, then a man they called your father came to collect-"

"That's enough!" Genesis snapped, standing up abruptly. His chair nearly tipped backwards. "Please, don't listen to her, sir, she doesn't know what she's talking about."

She felt sick, but even more indignant. "What do you mean? I know what happened. Mako eyes at that age aren't normal!"

"You can't possibly remember anything from that long ago that clearly. You were too young."

She felt weak, distantly noticing Angeal wince. "I broke my arm that night! It was in a cast for months, you signed it, and we saved to attach a fake hand and have it hanging out of a closet so your mother tripped on it…and…that's when we met."

Genesis cast a wary glance at Sephiroth, expression guilty as he said, "It was somebody else! Sephiroth is a First Class SOLDIER operative."

Sekai chose her words carefully, deciding to focus more on the argument. "He had mako eyes," she retorted desperately. "He broke into the house and killed my aunt! He nearly killed me, too. How couldn't I remember?" The more prominent question on her mind was, _'does that mean I shouldn't remember anything with you clearly, either?'_

"Don't be ridiculous," Genesis said stubbornly. "You were afraid, you couldn't think straight. How would you remember that much?"

Angeal cast her an apologetic look as she recoiled, expression pained. "Of course I was thinking straight, I got away, didn't I?"

"You were helped by a SOLDIER."

"Yes, but-"

"Exactly."

"You said you believed me when I got back to Banora."

"Why wouldn't I? You weren't making false accusations then."

"Genesis! I know what I saw. And…," she continued, beginning to stammer. "Does that mean I shouldn't remember what we did together, either? Do you really think that's any different?"

He looked away guiltily, muttering, "It is different."

"Excuse me?"

"You're wrong," Genesis said firmly, looking up to meet her injured expression. "You're being arrogant. Where'd you get the idea a SOLDIER killed your aunt?"

--

Sekai looked as though she'd been slapped. Her shoulders fell and she made no attempt to hide her trembling hands. Despite his stubbornness, Genesis still looked slightly wary. Angeal doubted Sekai could still see that.

"Genesis, I don't-" Angeal interrupted.

Genesis ignored him and demanded, "Do you really hate SOLDIER that much, Sekai? You can just come out and say it, it's obvious by your allegations. If you've been lying all this time because I wanted to join, it doesn't really matter anymore. You obviously don't care at all about what I want."

He could have been wrong, but Angeal was almost positive tears were forming in the corners of Sekai's eyes. She hung her head, looking defeated as Genesis continued. "Just get over it! You're _wrong. _Stop acting like a dumb little kid! Leave it behind and-"

Sekai looked up suddenly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You bastard!" she nearly screeched. "Get out of my house right now, all of you!"

Genesis practically froze. "What?"

"Get _out!_" Sekai repeated loudly.

Sephiroth turned around without comment, opened the backdoor and disappeared. Angeal also stood, sliding his chair in politely. Genesis, however, wasn't so quick to adjust.

"Stay away from me! Don't you even dare try to come back!"

"But, why're-" Before he finished, she jumped from her chair, successfully sending it clattering to the floor. She stalked forward and pushed him away angrily. Angeal guessed by his expression that Genesis was only then noticing that she was trembling.

"Go away!"

Angeal sighed inwardly at his friend's density and started pulling him out of the kitchen and to the front door. Genesis seemed to snap out of it as soon as they reached the door. Sekai heard it open from the kitchen and ran toward the stairs.

"Wait, Sekai!" Genesis called after her, though she ignored him and ducked into one of the upstairs bedrooms, slamming the door behind her.

"Come on," Angeal said quietly. "Let her calm down."

Genesis followed reluctantly, hearing footsteps and the deadbolt close once they were on the walkway. He stopped and glanced back momentarily. Angeal didn't hesitate though, and continued forward, opening the gate. "Come on," Angeal repeated tiredly.

"I made her cry…?" Genesis mumbled guiltily.

Angeal felt like banging his head against a wall. "Genesis, you dumbapple…"

--

Final Hikari: Nice, this was my longest chapter yet! Page wise and KB size! Also, I have announcements! For starters, my lil sis (Dr. Meh) has taken over editing the chapters. She was pissed BalthierFlare got to correct my errors. XD (Thanks Emily for all the help!!)

Second, this chapter has been in the workshop since the beginning of June. Almost exactly a month after I started brainstorming it, it's complete. Chapter 4 was a shocking change of math luck. I had a lot of trouble with the end, so I'm very sorry if anything seemed a little out of character. To some degree there's a lot of expansion that can go on with Genesis, but even as a teenager I still picture him a troublemaker…

Third, you can thank Dr. Meh for the stuff with Sekai's grandmother. XD She came up and typed 100 of that. When I read it I was just creeped out as I am sure you are right now. I wasn't going to do it but she talked me into it. XD

Forth, you have no idea how much I've wanted somebody to call somebody a dumbapple. It was excruciatingly random and 'dumbass' came to mind first, but Angeal seems to be too mature to swear, so I finally got my wish. I hope it didn't bother anybody. XD


	7. Prisoner

Final Hikari: …Wow! O.O Armageddon! No time passed between chapter five and six! It's a first!

Genesis: Can't you get through a chapter with annoying people?

Final Hikari: Not really.

Genesis: And must you make it sound like everything plot related is so shocking? -.- You're the author, you should know exactly what is going to happen chapters in advance…

Final Hikari: …You're still irritable about the age thing, aren't you?

Genesis: -.-

Final Hikari: You're a cranky SOLDIER, aren't cha? Ah well…I don't own anything Final Fantasy VII.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 6

Prisoner

Sekai scowled as she pulled the trigger of the pistol for the second consecutive time. She wasn't surprised when it hit just left of the bull's eye. Her aim had been off all day. Not only was the training session later in the day than usual, she was irritable and sleep deprived.

Reno winced as he watched her shoot quickly, but never accurately. "You're going through those bullets pretty quick, and they're not exactly cheap…"

"Don't be such a penny pincher," Sekai said sourly. "You should be able to afford thousands of these if you actually got in the Turks."

Reno sighed and paused a moment, eyeing the way she held the pistol. "If you were using a rifle or larger firearm, you'd have to hold it further away from your body. The backlash is considerably stronger and you could hurt yourself."

"Mmm," Sekai replied uninterestedly.

Reno crossed his arms, figuring she'd probably only rant, but decided to ask anyway, "Exactly what send an evil bug up your ass?"

Sekai cast him a critical glance at his terminology.

"What?" Reno asked defensively. "You get what I mean. What got you so pissed off? Is that better?"

"Not really. And Genesis being an ass is what put me in a bad mood."

"What could he possibly have done in…," Reno glanced at the time displayed on his cell phone, "three hours of being in Banora?"

Sekai wasn't sure what she wanted to tell the Turk-to-be. He was also going to Midgar and getting deeply involved with the Shinra Company. Then again, what did it matter? Genesis had probably already attempted explaining the situation to 'General Sephiroth.'

"He was being an inconsiderate ass."

"And since you're his little girlfriend, it really bothered you."

Sekai didn't take aim at all before firing the final bullet in the round, and it subsequently hit the tree above the target. Reno, once again, winced. "You're as bad as my grandmother. Not only am I too young, at the moment, I'm not his anything!"

"I'm skeptical about your being too young. Just listen to yourself swear. Where did you learn all that?" Reno asked dryly, foolishly adding, "Well, Genesis I'm sure…he's cursed horribly since he was your age…"

Sekai glared up at him briefly before reloading the pistol. She sighed and took time to aim before firing that time.

"Exactly what happened?" Reno questioned.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm intrigued now. Not that I want it to turn into a therapy session over the mind of a twisted young teenager."

Sekai decided she wouldn't point out she wasn't quite a teenager yet. "At first he just ignored me, then he was flat out rude."

"How could he ignore you if he went to see you?" Reno asked, not getting it at all.

"A First Class SOLDIER showed up."

"Ahhhh," Reno said knowingly. "So he's already seeking promotion?"

"He isn't even in the stupid organization yet!" Sekai snapped. "I told him that SOLDIER was the one who killed my aunt, but he just kept contradicting and talking down to me."

"Ouch. Was it really that bad?"

"_Yes._"

"Well…who was this First Class? How did you know it was him?"

"He had the mako eyes," Sekai said simply.

"Uh, Sekai…all First Class SOLDIERs have mako eyes."

"I know!" Sekai said shortly, "I mean, he had them five years ago."

"If he's been First Class that long…"

"He was a stupid test subject when it happened! He wasn't even in SOLDIER then, they called him an 'escaped specimen'. Don't you remember the big cover up in Sydon?"

"Of course I do, they woke me up at three AM to drive you into Banora…which wasn't really part of my contract but Genesis threatened to fire me…"

"Focus. That thing that killed her never should have made SOLDIER! He's a monster!"

"Wait a second. I heard a rumor that specimen was Dr. Hojo's son…"

"Yes, and he's in SOLDIER now," Sekai said simply, becoming exasperated at how long it was taking him to understand.

Reno blinked a moment before things clicked in his mind. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed. "General Sephiroth is in Banora? Why didn't you say so?"

"I refuse to say the name," Sekai snapped.

"First Class SOLDIER Sephiroth was near your house?"

"He was sort of in the backyard."

"…Right. But you're pissed off at Genesis for ignoring you because Sephiroth was around?"

"Yes! I said that all ready!"

"Yeah, but you didn't say it was _Sephiroth._ I was leaning towards taking your side on this one, but since it's Sephiroth we're talking about…"

"What difference does it make?" Sekai demanded crossly.

"But kissing up to Sephiroth of all First Class SOLDIERs is really different."

"How so?" Sekai challenged.

"Well, if I didn't kiss the asses of President Shinra's favorite Turks, do you think they'd have accepted me?"

Sekai slammed the pistol down to the ground irritably. "You're saying all the high-ranking members of the Shinra Company are a bunch of no-good brownnosers!"

"There are nicer ways to word it…and organizations like SOLDIER and the Turks do require skill, but friends in high places really help traveling up the ranks."

"What he was doing was degrading!" Sekai snapped. "He was _yelling _at me that I was wrong!"

"Is yelling an overstatement?"

"No!"

"What happened after that?"

"I kicked them all out."

"Yeah…that does sound pretty bad. But the two of you have been arguing about all the SOLDIER stuff for months now. Are you really that surprised?"

Sekai was silent. He had a point; though she hadn't interfered, she'd silently disagreed with all the lessons in swordsmanship and other various forms of fighting over the years. She had hardly seen him during the school year, and though they'd forgiven each other for what'd happened when he was accepted to attend the trials, it was practically a continuation to all of that.

"I didn't want him to leave in the first place," she stared down at the ground as she spoke. "Even if I am overreacting to everything, it's just because I'm afraid someone from Shinra is going to come and tell me he was killed."

"Well," Reno said, picking the pistol up and shoving it back in his backpack. "I can't blame you for fearing a KIA notice, and I really didn't bargain for a therapy session, but you should at least tell him that. We're nor far from Rhapsodos Manor and he's probably there right now. It'd be worse if, not that I'm saying it'd happen, he would get killed and the last thing you said to him was 'get out'."

"For not wanting a therapy session, you sound an awful lot like a therapist," Sekai said, trying to sound sardonic but mostly failing.

"I blame you if somebody yells at me for sounding like that again," he said dryly.

"Right…this is probably the last time I see you, too, right?"

"Probably. I'll be leaving later in the week…hopefully I can bum a ride off Genesis and Angeal when they leave."

Sekai smirked slightly despite the dismal mood that had settled over her again. "They aren't providing transportation? Are you _sure _you were accepted?"

"What? Getting from here to Midgar is expensive! Besides, it's better for the environment if I went with them," he added sarcastically, turning around and walking off towards the top of the hill.

"Thanks for the lessons," she said plainly.

"No problem. I'll be sure to send you a bill."

Sekai scowled slightly. "What?"

Reno cackled. "At least for materials!"

Sekai crossed her arms. "Knowing you, you'd spend it to pay off a tab at a bar."

"Humph. How do you know I wouldn't be buying dental floss?" Reno asked jokingly as he disappeared between the trees.

Sekai stood there a moment, watching him walk off while deep in thought. The place he'd taken her today for their final practice session was particularly close to Rhapsodos Manor, where he had a room and stayed in when off duty. Where they practiced usually depended on how many people were at the Manor that day. If there were a lot, they'd go further to make sure none of Genesis' parents' hoity-toity friends would hear the gunshots and panic.

She figured Reno had chosen a closer location because he didn't have much free time now. They usually practiced early in the morning before his duties. Sekai wasn't used to practicing in the late afternoon, so it had been rather inconvenient when he'd called her for a final lesson.

She wasn't entirely sure what compelled her to start learning marksmanship from one of the Rhapsodos family's bodyguards. Especially since he'd wanted to throw her off the property for lacking identification first time they'd encountered each other.

Where she stood, the ground sloped in two directions. If she headed upward it'd be to Genesis' home and below that Banora Village. Going around the hill would take a lot longer than going over it. If she went east where the ground sloped downward, the trees would thin out and she'd be at the beach. Her grandmother was going out to dinner with some of the old women in her book club, undoubtedly telling them all about Sephiroth, so Sekai didn't have anywhere to be for a good two hours.

She contemplated going east, but shook her head abruptly while inwardly willing herself not to procrastinate. He wouldn't be in Banora long and when she went to apologize after their last argument it had gone well. Granted, there probably wouldn't be any ants to distract them and she wasn't really apologizing; on the contrary, she was expecting an apology. _Or at least a reluctant, stammering one._

She started up the hill, walking at a much slower pace than Reno had. There was no point in running into him when she wanted to collect her thoughts. But for some reason she kept picturing her grandmother squealing with her friends like schoolgirls talking about Sephiroth. The vision was getting increasingly creepy.

It wasn't long before she was standing outside the back gate to Rhapsodos Manor as she had so many times before. She noticed there was no guard posted and approached apprehensively. She frowned as the gate opened with a mere push. She looked around before entering, feeling unusually unwelcome. Even if the guards did appear suddenly they'd recognize her.

She walked around to the front and noticed an unfamiliar black car parked on the driveway. Some of Banora's residents had cars, but most didn't because the town was small enough not to need them. _No doubt it's something to do with the Shin-Ra Company…_

She hurried up the stairs to the door and pressed the button for the intercom. "Sekai Kurayami here."

"Kurayami?" The familiar feminine voice buzzed over the small speaker. "I'm sorry, the Rhapsodos' have guests present. Could you wait until later?"

Sekai scowled and pressed the button a second time. "Excuse me?"

"Please come back later."

"Wait a second!" She snapped to the voice's crackled reply. She pressed the button but it didn't beep, signaling it had been shut off on the other end. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and eyed it sourly. She flipped it open and hesitated before using the first number on her speed dial. Instead, she opened the phone book and selected Angeal's number. There was a good chance Angeal was at his home, but he might have some idea what was going on.

It rang four or more times before Angeal finally picked up as the curtain of a window not far down on the front of the house was pushed aside. Sekai scowled, recognizing the person to be Angeal.

"Angeal!" she snapped the moment he picked up. "What the hell is going on? They're telling me I can't come in."

She couldn't discern his expression but imagined he was wincing. "Hello to you too."

"Don't make me repeat my question." she said irritably.

"Sephiroth and the Director are here," Angeal replied simply. "Genesis' parents are panicking."

"I see," Sekai said and hung up. This time, she held her first speed dial number. It rang two times after Angeal disappeared from the window, but instead of picking up, the front door was pulled open. Genesis looked unsurprised but tired as she flipped her phone closed.

He wordlessly led her down the hall, past the living room, and into the library. Most of the thoughts that came to Sekai's mind were rather spiteful after being told to leave. Even during parties Genesis' parents hosted with their colleagues, they'd always let her in unannounced.

"Sorry about that," Genesis said, sounding apologetic. "Director Lazard and his wife, Mystina, are here too and my parents didn't want any visitors. They weren't prepared and are over-dramatizing the situation."

"He has a wife?" Sekai asked, momentarily distracted. "I thought he was a greasy creep."

"He kinda is, but she's downright scary."

Sekai winced. "I don't think I want to meet her."

"You don't," Genesis said simply. "I don't know if she's quite as bad as your grandmother since she's scary in a slightly different way, but…"

"Nobody is scarier than Gran…in that sense, at least."

"I really hope so…if I ever encounter an old woman like that in Midgar, I'd probably starting hiding from all of them."

Sekai smiled, an image of Genesis ducking into an ally because an old lady was nearby forming in her mind.

"Do I want to know what you're smirking about? You _are_ related," Genesis said playfully.

"Don't insult me."

Sekai shifted slightly, feeling the awkward silence setting in. It must have gotten to Genesis nearly immediately because he took a deep breath before speaking. "Uh…sorry about earlier. It kinda got out of hand."

_Reluctance lives…that and the stammering,_ Sekai thought, smiling slightly. "Sorry for throwing you out."

"Don't worry about it, I was being an ass."

"Did Angeal have to tell you that?" Sekai asked with a smirk.

"Maybe."

"But Angeal's too proper to swear. What'd he actually call you?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Is it that bad?"

"Yes," Genesis replied wearily.

"I'm morbidly curious."

"He called me a dumbapple."

Sekai grinned despite herself. "That's so perfect! I knew he'd never curse. I can't believe it's never popped up before."

"I suspect he learned it from his mother."

"Probably. I can picture that disturbingly easy," Sekai said smiling gently. "I think I agree with him though."

"_Thanks,_" Genesis said sarcastically, smiling slightly nevertheless.

Sekai returned the smile. "I guess my grandmother didn't scare Sephiroth out of the town."

"She nearly scared _me_ out of the town and I wasn't even associated with the… conversation."

"What's he doing here, anyway?"

"Something about the mako leaks," Genesis replied.

"The glowing sinkholes?"

"…Sinkholes they are," Genesis said with a knowing smirk.

Sekai thought about that a second, her expression darkening. "They don't want to put a reactor here, do they?"

"I don't think so. If they do, even if my parents support it to kiss President Shinra's ass, the townspeople will probably fight it. Personally, I'd rather not have a mako reactor in my backyard."

Sekai laughed at his choice of words. "Seeing as it'd probably be your backyard and the rest of the town, I don't think it'd be very nice either."

"Shinra's subsidized the income of the town so much, I'd imagine they're just making sure nothing is changing."

Sekai nodded in response. She wasn't really focused on the their rather idle conversation. A lot of questions she wanted to ask him were beginning to flood her mind. She also felt obligated to explain her continual fear to him, but she was having a hard time convincing herself not to leave it at a temporary time of peace again.

She took a deep breath as a second silence set in. Genesis glanced up to meet her eyes, most likely figuring she was about to say something. She hesitated again, her voice catching in her throat.

"Something wrong?" Genesis asked.

"I…uh…what I really wanted to say was… well, to explain why I've seemed against you joining SOLDIER," she stammered, looking away. She chanced a nervous glance at his expression before continuing.

"Go on," he said calmly, expression impassive.

_There is no way to say this nicely. No matter how I word it, he'll be insulted. I feel obligated to clarify, but even if it doesn't lead to another argument it's going to reflect poorly. What am I supposed to say? 'I've been thinking what would happen if you didn't return'? No, that makes me sound like a horrible person… 'I'm worried something might happen'? That doesn't even make sense…_

_Oh, just say it…what's the worst that could happen? Feeling loneliness? Being in pain? That's not so bad…_

"I'm just afraid you may never return," Sekai finally blurted out.

"Come again?" Genesis asked, arching an eyebrow questioningly.

"Oh, come on," Sekai groaned, "you have to get it." She waited grimly for his reply, more than a little distressed that she had to repeat herself and muster all that courage up a second time.

"Uh, no, you muttered…"

"Oh," Sekai said flatly. "I'm afraid…you'll be killed and won't come back."

It was easier the second time, though it was painful for her to watch as his expression became a disappointed frown as she spoke. It seemed an eternity before he replied.

"You don't think I can do it, then?" he asked, his voice so flat he almost sounded lifeless.

"It's not that," she said quickly. "You know the situations you'll be in are dangerous, and-"

"And basically you think I can't even protect myself," he interjected, not bothering to look her in the eyes.

"Genesis!" she said sharply, sounding pained. "Please, don't make it this way."

"I don't even want to hear that," Genesis snapped, his voice getting loud. "You're the one who's been doubting me since I was accepted to attend the trials! How do you think that's been, knowing you didn't believe in me at all? I've had it hanging over my head that you think I'm even less capable than my parents assumed? Now I learn you're expecting for a KIA notice."

A wave of sickness overcame her and she felt her knees threatening to buckle. "I'm not _expecting_ anything!" she shouted. "How could you even use a word like that?"

"Easily, since you think it's so likely," he shot back.

She winced. She knew it'd end up like this. "You're the only person I can call a friend," Sekai said quietly. "Please don't be defeated."

"So defeated is the word now."

"Genesis…"

"In that case," he said angrily, "I hope you're the first to get the KIA notice when I'm killed."

Sekai froze, rooted to the spot in a stunned silence. What he'd just said wouldn't completely register in her mind. Only the feeling of regret penetrated the numbness; not even thoughts could take form in her mind. Only his cold words remained.

--

Angeal winced as he heard raised voiced in the next room. Sephiroth also noticed and glanced up at the wall. As their words became near-discernable, Angeal felt disturbingly obligated to provide a distraction. It was probably because Genesis awarded him the venerable position so often, but it was less awkward when it was for a prank or something dangerous.

Even if his documentation of his terrarium was unable to recover.

"So…how old were you when you made SOLDIER?" Angeal asked.

Sephiroth didn't even bother to acknowledge Angeal's question, or look at him. "Do they argue often?"

"Only since everything with SOLDIER started," Angeal admitted, deciding that answering the General's questions simply was better than flat out lying.

"I see," Sephiroth replied. "She dislikes SOLDIER, I suppose?"

"She's just worried about him."

"She thinks I killed her aunt. I doubt that is all."

Angeal winced a second time. "I don't know Sekai as well as Genesis does. You'd have to talk to her."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Uh, beware of her grandmother," Angeal said quickly, already regretting his words. He was only working himself into more trouble.

"I couldn't see myself looking for that…civilian."

The argument transpiring on the other side of the wall in the library seemed to be at its worst, as the words 'defeated' and 'KIA' were heard clearly in the sitting room. The voices then fell silent, and the door on the other side of the library soon slammed open.

"They've known each other for a while, I suppose," Sephiroth said, starting the conversation for a change.

"Yes, just as long as I've known Genesis. He only really started living in Banora nine years ago. I'm not clear on how they met, but they've always been friends. They've gotten along pretty well until now."

A moment later, the main entrance to the library opened and Genesis came walking down the hall hurriedly, stopping short when he spotted Angeal and Sephiroth. He grimaced slightly, giving Angeal the idea he was aware they'd been overheard.

"Where's Sekai?" Angeal asked as Genesis entered the room.

"She went home," Genesis said gruffly, and quickly changing the topic by apologizing to the General. Angeal sighed inwardly, half tempted to go after Sekai and offering an apology to the only person who was really deserving of one.

--

Final Hikari: -cries tears of joy- It's on time! It's on time! Sweet lady Ragnarok, I made update day!!

Genesis: Is this so miraculous?

Final Hikari: Yes, Genesis, it really. -turns to readers- Since I'm trying to make the plot of ATLB very balanced, I kinda have to include Sephiroth. Dr. Meh, my editor, loves Sephiroth, so she comes up with a lot of scene ideas including him. Since I don't like him much and have great trauma from various things, I'm accepting suggestions for scenes to transpire shortly before the CC timeline. Other than a scene including that game with the dumbapples on each others' heads, I have nothing. XD

Angeal: Is that it?

Final Hikari: When'd you get into the disclaimers?


	8. Maybe Tomorrow

Final Hikari: -stares at screen blankly, eyes wide- Final Fantasy VII…eBay…42...bidding…one cent up…two cents up…a dollar up…refreshing the page…refresh…refresh…fifteen seconds left…a bid…third person previous uninvolved bids…I bid…outbid…randomly types a number starting with 4...submit…auction…over…X.X O.O Wah! I lost my copy of VII to some -BEEP- out of no where! Noooooooo!

Zack: Huh?

Final Hikari: My page didn't refresh fast enough, I made a typo, and got outbid by three cents on a copy of FFVII with all discs, no cracks in the case, the manual, great pictures revealing excellent condition for under 50.

Genesis: I'm not even in the original, why should I care?

Final Hikari: But it was devastating… -sniffles- Can I have a hug?

Genesis: -steps away- Hugs are _not_ part of my contract.

Zack: …Since when did you have a contact?

Final Hikari: Pwease?

Genesis: I'm not hugging the author!

Zack: You're that heartless?

Genesis: She's a greasy little adolescent! And she's been taking too much advice from her editor and subsequently tormenting me the last few chapters!

Zack: Still, she's the author.

Genesis: Then why don't _you_ hug her?

Cloud: Dude, she asked YOU.

Genesis: -grumbles- I don't wanna hug the author!

Final Hikari: -sigh- I don't own anything FFVII…nor do I won the three blessed discs that compose of the original X.X -sulks with Mizerable on-

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 7

Maybe Tomorrow

Sekai had run from Rhapsodos Manor and through most of the business district of Banora. She slowed to a tired walk as she reached the more secluded residential area. Despite the sprint, it was still almost dark by the time she got home.

_Grandma isn't back yet, _Sekai thought to herself as she glanced up at the clock in the living room. She locked the front door behind her and trudged to her room. _If she asks what I had for dinner I suppose I'll just lie…I'm not even close to being hungry after today._

She hardly ever locked her bedroom door, but this time she did. Kicking off her shoes and laying down on her bed, she tried to reconstruct the memories from this morning. _Reno called me shortly after Genesis and Angeal left…I left immediately and took the long way so I wasn't there too soon. I've been tired all day…_

_Oh, right, I was supposed to call tech support. _She sat up, casting her computer a sour look. The laptop still sat on her desk, uncovered and stretched open with the battery sitting beside it. Deciding her mind was still too active to fall asleep, she flicked the lamp above her desk on and sat down at the computer.

_No reason not to mess with it again…_

After ten or more minutes of attempted navigation around the recurring Blue Screen of Death, it turned on and booted up normally. She smiled triumphantly, crossing her arms as she waited. It was taking longer than usual, but the loss of speed was the least of her worries. Her desktop loaded and she opened the Internet browser.

_At least something decided to stop working against me…_ She thought, peacefully preoccupied. _…Ack, the Messenger!_ She jumped to cancel the automatic sign in. _Hey, that means it really did connect!_

The thought didn't really register completely because there was a sudden, quiet knock at her window. Sekai started and looked up, cursing herself for not putting the blinds down. _Ugh, don't tell me it's Genesis already…his ego can't have recovered that quickly._

She stood up, scowling slightly, and reached for the blind cord. She frowned when she didn't see anyone. She let go of the cord and unlocked the window. It was hardly open when a gloved hand suddenly appeared and pushed it up. She recoiled immediately, nearly falling on the hard wooden floor when the face of General Sephiroth appeared.

She voiced her first thought. "There's a front door, you know!"

"You tell me this as if I do not know?"

She scowled. _What a freak…_ "What do you want?"

"May I come in?"

"Fine," she grumbled, "but my window isn't a public entrance. And how'd you open the screen from the outside?"

_I've only ever let Genesis come in through my window…_

It was almost comical to watch the most renowned member of SOLDIER have slight difficulty getting through her window. He didn't really fit. She straightened and crossed her arms, waiting for him to get through.

"Why are you here?"

He didn't answer her. "Is that computer manufactured by Shinra?"

"I don't know."

"Did you get it from Rhapsodos?" Sephiroth asked, turning to scrutinize the machine despite the tone void of interest.

"Don't touch my computer," Sekai said irritably and hurried over to her desk to pull it to the other end. He didn't seem to take offense. _Then again, with how much his expression reveals it'd be impossible to know…_

"You don't let people touch your electronics?" The general's voice was strange. Quiet, reclusive.

"Look, normal people don't come through windows. They knock on doors. What do you want?"

"Did it upset you that much? I was only aiming to avoid that…woman."

"My grandmother?" Sekai asked, figuring she could drive him right off if she said her grandmother was due back any moment…probably with all her other old lady friends to stalk the backyard for Sephiroth.

"You are related?"

"Well, duh. Children and teenagers usually live with their family members. Didn't you?"

"No."

"Oh…," Sekai trailed off, a little awkwardly. "Why?" she asked, pulling her chair over and sitting down. She didn't offer Sephiroth a seat. _Too much to hope he'll get the point…_ she thought sourly.

"I was raised within Shinra."

_Well, I suppose that's why he sounds like such a freak…_ "Did your family work there or something? Mine were stupid enough to…"

"My mother was involved with them in the past."

"Did she disappear?" Sekai asked quietly, looking at her computer. It registered distantly in her mind as her home page loaded that her inbox was overloaded with unread messages.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Sekai replied and clicked to open her inbox. Genesis' video of Midgar was still clogging things up and slowing the loading speed to a crawl. "Did you come here because you were bored, or what? If there are all kinda of infantryman and hidden cameras out there…"

"There aren't," he interjected.

Sekai didn't hear him step behind her as she scanned her inbox. Her computer hadn't allowed her to check it in a few weeks and half the messages were short notes from Genesis, dated from the beginning of the month.

"You've known him for a long time, haven't you?" Sephiroth observed.

Sekai jumped for the umpteenth that evening and stood up to block the screen abruptly. "It's rude to read over somebody's shoulder," she said crossly. Sephiroth didn't step back so she compensated, sliding the computer back on her desk and, with her feet resting on her chair, moving back to sit on the smooth wooden surface. The more distance between her and the stoic general, the better.

"And what's it matter how long I've known Genesis? And since when do First Class SOLDIERs even acknowledge candidates?"

"He was caught hacking data and the company tracked his program," Sephiroth replied shortly. "He had a very well organized alibi about why there was another computer with the software at this address."

Sekai frowned. "You mean Shin-Ra crashed my computer?"

"Ah, so you do have that software." Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at her consternation with a hint of amusement.

_Damn it! _Sekai swore to herself. "So you're just here to get information out of me," she accused, changing the subject as smoothly as she could.

"Rhapsodos accessed that machine's network to delete the program."

"That's impossible; it was off and didn't have the battery in it."

Sephiroth shrugged. Sekai was momentarily distracted he did something as expressive as shrug. "If it were plugged in, perhaps?"

"…Maybe," Sekai said reluctantly, casting the A/C power cord a brief glance. She might have plugged it in before Reno called…not that her grandmother's 'fish' had to know.

"How did you meet him? You seem to be considerably younger."

_Is he calling me immature…?_ "Why?"

"So you haven't known him long?"

"I've known him for seven years," she retorted irritably.

"I see. Why are you fighting, then?"

"You ask as though it's your business," Sekai said dryly. He didn't reply and she didn't volunteer any more information for a long moment. "I didn't want him to join SOLDIER," she finally admitted.

"Why?"

"Isn't that my line?" Sekai asked sarcastically, tired of arguing with the strange, quiet man. However, she resolved with a pang to not say anything that'd spoil Genesis' chances of promotion in the accursed organization. "It's dangerous…"

"You were worried?"

"No past tense needed."

"Then…you are worried." _Why does he talk like that? Does he just not get enough practice or something? _Sephiroth scrutinized her for a moment. "But if you are simply worried, why not tell him so?"

"Because he's being an ass and misunderstanding," Sekai snapped touchily. "How is this any of your business?"

"It isn't," he replied truthfully. "I suppose I was curious as to your relationship to him."

"It's called friendship, Captain Obvious."

Sekai slid off her desk and back onto her chair so she didn't have to look at him.

"I see." After a long silence and deletion of four messages from acquaintances from school Sekai didn't care to read, Sephiroth spoke again. "What was your question before?"

"What question?"

"Something about parents."

"Oh. Both of mine disappeared in one of the large incidents six years ago." More words sprung to her lips, but she held them back. _And you killed my aunt shortly thereafter._ She had forgotten she was dealing with a murderer. _The murderer of my aunt no less._

"Is that why you dislike Shin-Ra?"

"I don't have respect for the people there nor for what they do," Sekai replied through gritted teeth.

"So they were killed right after you met Rhapsodos?"

"I never thought of it that way," Sekai admitted, but quickly caught herself before saying more. _…My aunt called Genesis a stuck-up brat because he was the landlord's son. My grandmother is convinced, though her distorted outlook on teenage relationships, that I'm smitten with him, but my parents…they never really knew him, did they? I wonder if…they'd approve…_

_Even if they did like him as little as my aunt did, they couldn't have told me…I was too small to understand. I hardly remember what they were like…I do remember always getting really sad when they'd leave for Midgar though. One of my relatives or a friend of my parents' would come to Banora the night before to stay with me. The following morning, they'd always drive my parents out to the train station. I'd always come along to say good bye… It was practically routine, but I'd always start crying and run back to the car after waving them off._

_Come to think of it, I met Genesis at that train station, didn't I?_

"Did you lose respect for Rhapsodos because he joined SOLIDER?"

"Why do you want to know?" Sekai demanded, turning around abruptly to glare at the SOLDIER. "Is it any of your business?" He was unsurprisingly silent, with a blank enough expression to bore her grandmother on a sugar high. _Pretty obvious he's not going to answer. Creepy jerk…_ "Why are you with SOLDIER?"she tried again.

"There are many powerful people within Shin-Ra who are worthy of allegiance,"was all he deigned to reply.

"That's it? Because of other people in the organization?"

"I have my reasons," he said, somewhat cryptically.

_Connections to the organization… _"But what if contacts were all you had? Would you still work for them?"

"It would depend on how important those contacts were."

"I see," Sekai said, staring blankly at her computer.

"But…why do you believe me to have killed your aunt?"

Sekai felt like the question of 'why in seven hells is this creepy, quiet jerk here at all' had taken the form of a dark cloud. Only after collecting enough water did it decide to let the rain fall… "Well…you did," Sekai answered plainly, feeling foolish. "It was a long time ago, but you look the same."

Sephiroth looked at her steadily. "There are periods of time before I joined SOLDIER in which my memories are incomplete. I have never been told of any deaths during these lapses in memory. If that event occurred in one of those times however, I am deeply sorry," he said, probably the longest collection of words he'd ever said all at once.

Sekai felt extremely awkward. She finally knew why he'd come and now there was nothing left to say. She turned to face the silver-haired man who had starred in her nightmares more than once. "You should probably get going. My grandmother will be coming home soon and she'll have a lot of her old lady friends with her. I don't think you'll want to meet them too."

Sekai's eyes might have been betraying her, but she thought she saw the a slight shadow of disgust cross his expression.

"Yes…," he affirmed. "I will take my leave."

"Take it all you want;," Sekai replied, rewording his sentence dryly.

"Good night," Sephiroth murmured, heading to her window. With one foot on the sill he added, "I'm sure we'll encounter each other again."

"I dread it," Sekai said sardonically. He ducked out of the window and pulled the screen down and departed.

She stood up, checked to make sure the screen had clicked into place, then closed the window. She sat back down at her computer and rubber her forehead. Even though she was glad it was working again, she suddenly didn't feel much like catching up on two weeks void of Internet. _Bet Genesis would have a heart attack if he heard that._

--

Warm sunlight flooded Sekai's room. The brightest rays from the window stabbed right into her unsuspecting eyes. Cursing, she reminded herself groggily to always make sure the blinds were closed.

Her computer was left forgotten on her desk, but the power light had stopped blinking sometime in the middle of the night. She would have stayed sleeping peacefully if her grandmother's voice hadn't rang out down the hall. She'd left her door cracked open so the sound penetrated easily.

"Sekai! I'm going out to the super market!"

She opened her eyes blearily and yawned. Like usual, Sekai rolled over and tucked her head under her pillow. If all were normal and nothing had changed, she also would have called out a mumbled 'okay, see you soon!' However, the moment she closed her eyes about to reply with a drowsy goodbye, only one image filled her mind's eye.

And it was a moldy box.

A moldy, cardboard box of cookies.

Seven years out of date.

--

It was still early in the morning and the majority of people in the super market were the older citizens of Banora. Sekai often underestimated the number of old ladies living in the town. A lot of the store workers were still stocking shelves with the day's supplies.

_Well…at least I distracted my grandmother in the wrinkle cream aisle while I get the real shopping done. _She shuddered slightly at the recurring memory of the ancient cookies. She really hoped it would stop repeating. _I can't believe they expired when mom and dad were still alive… _She didn't like to think of the gross negligence the cabinets had suffered since then to contain something that old. The outside of the box had been moldy and she didn't like to picture what the contents would've looked like.

She examined the size of the ears of corn absentmindedly and glanced at the price on the sign before pulling one of the plastic bags out of the dispenser. She reached up to a large ear of corn toward the top of the display but only managed to send it falling to the floor.

She swore quietly to herself and went to grab it, but another person appeared behind her and caught it. "You can ask the workers," he said cheerfully and held it out to her.

"Oh, thanks, Angeal," Sekai said though she was instantly thinking ahead. "Genesis isn't here with you, is he?" she asked, glancing over her should to make sure he wasn't following.

"Well, he is, but he's either looking for something expensive and unhealthy or left to hide from his mother," Angeal explained, though he looked slightly deterred.

Sekai cast him a skeptical look. "His mother shops for herself?"

Angeal shrugged. "If making an embarrassment of herself by harassing the butcher for the meat they don't put out in the morning counts as 'shopping', then, yes, I suppose she does."

"I see…well, what are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"My mother seems to feel I have to catch up on a month and a half's worth of work," Angeal answered simply, pulling a plastic bag off the other dispenser and filling it with corn.

"Fun…," Sekai said, smirking slightly.

"Is your computer working again?" Angeal asked randomly.

Sekai frowned. _So Sephiroth wasn't lying…I guess I wasn't supposed to know._ "Yeah, it is," she replied brightly. "Why?"

"Uh…well…"

"Genesis did some hacking?" she asked conversationally.

Angeal looked bemused. "More or less. How'd you know?"

_What am I supposed to say? Lie with something random like 'my desktop background was a dumbapple?'_ "No reason, just a guess…that, and you just confirmed it by asking me how I knew.'"

"Very perceptive of you," Angeal replied as she pushed her cart forward and examined a container of strawberries to make none were rotted or bruised before placing it beside the corn. "Sekai?"

"Yes?" she asked, stopping but not turning back around.

"I won't tell you not to avoid him, but if he tries talking to you, try to hear him out," Angeal paused, "alright? He isn't exactly proud of all this."

"Mmm. I'm sure."

"Will you duck behind a fat, old woman if you see him?" Angeal asked, only half-serious.

Sekai smirked slightly despite herself, even though it was obvious Angeal was trying to leave off of a more light-hearted note. "Probably," she replied brightly. Angeal chuckled as she continued onward.

She _did_ see Genesis once briefly before finishing the week's shopping, but he had been walking away from her at the time and didn't notice. _I suppose I should get used to seeing him walking away… I guess the clock of our time just ran out._

Most of the day passed similarly for Sekai. She didn't leave the house very much and spent the majority of her time on her computer. She had to admit…even if he was being an ass, it was pretty impressive he'd managed to get it working just by deleting Shinra's program. The final time it cut out and the screen suddenly went blank, she had been online, so she figured that might have had something to do with Genesis' ability to access it.

She procrastinated on it, but kept returning to her inbox to read the old emails from Genesis. There were a lot of them, but most were short messages with pictures or videos he'd taken with his cell phone. She opened and saved all the images, only then inwardly admitting that he really had been all over the continent.

She also noted that a large portion of the pictures were taken in the north. Shin-Ra must have liked to keep their candidates completing missions in the bitter cold, because the dates on the messages reflected being there for a good two weeks in the end of the trials.

No wonder Genesis had taken to wearing coats over his uniform…

Even the messages that came from his email address and not phone number were rather short. The ones from his cell phone usually only had one line captions but he was either too lazy or in a hurry when typing the ones he'd sent from his computer.

They left her feeling nostalgic and wishing she could reply to them and pretend nothing had changed since he typed them in Midgar. But now he was on the other side of the invisible wall that divided them.

Even though she'd smile quietly at some of the messages, they were only adding to her regret. She felt like she was supposed to be repenting for creating so many arguments. But a moment later, though the feeling would remain, she'd have no idea what she was supposed to repent for when she felt like she was the one waiting for an apology.

Just when she thought she was done sorting through all the messages, downloading the files, then moving them to their proper folders, she noticed an unread message in her junk folder. Her grandmother often got mail order items and put her email address in for newsletters, so spam wasn't uncommon.

The unread message was from a Kratos Pyr with a subject of 'Group Photo.' She glanced at the attachment size and checked her firewall before clicking it. It was against her better judgment, but she was intrigued. She frowned when she saw the list of recipients. There were about fifteen and her own email address was last. She clicked the attachment to start the download and looked down to read the message.

It read, _"from left to right," _followed by a long list of names. She scanned the list, this 'Kratos Pyr' being present it in, but before she was able to finish reading, the download finished and the picture opened. Her eyes settled on the only two familiar people in the picture who stood off to the right.

She smiled slightly despite herself. It was a picture of Genesis, Angeal, and all of the other candidates that had made SOLDIER. Genesis looked to be the youngest in the group. Most of the other candidates looked like they had just finished high school and were between eighteen and twenty. Genesis, who wasn't sixteen until July 4th and a week into the trials, was probably the youngest there. Angeal was taller and at least tried to look halfway serious, so even though they were about the same age, he didn't project the same image.

It didn't help that Genesis' grin was by far the broadest and that he was posing with his sword drawn for the pictures. Evidently it had been a last minute action since the candidate standing to his left wasn't looking at the camera; rather, he had glanced at Genesis' sword with a rather disturbed expression.

Angeal was on Genesis' right but didn't look fazed. A few other SOLDIERs had swords at their sides or on their backs like Angeal had to because of the length and weight of his sword, but Genesis' crimson blade would have stood out either way. None of the other swords had colored blades; they were all silver.

By the look of it, they were still in Modeoheim when the picture had been taken. They stood a few feet away from a snowy cliff. She looked at the bottom of the picture, inwardly noticing their boots were all sunk down in a few inches of snow. It wasn't snowing in the picture and the sky was clear, though dark clouds were visible on the far right.

She clicked the picture down to her start bar a moment to see if there was anything else interesting in the message. She went down past the list of names and saw one solitary line.

_Genesis wanted me to send this picture to you, too, because I'm the only one with a computer that's working in the cold…_

Sekai smiled to herself and reopened the picture. _This wasn't very long ago…_she thought randomly. However, her eyes settled on the hilt of Genesis' sword and the previously transparent jewel above the blade. She frowned and zoomed in. The picture was large enough that it didn't become pixilated.

The gem had definitely undergone some sort of change. She remembered when they'd gone to the sword smith together to pick it up with Angeal a few months ago. There were two jewels, one on the top of the hilt she couldn't see clearly in the picture, and another right above the blade.

At the time, they might have had a tiny tint of color, but she had been able to see through them easily. She initially wondered if it was just the brightness of the picture, but the purplish-red color the gem had assumed was too drastic to be a trick of the light. It wasn't opaque quite yet, but something had definitely changed.

--

Genesis flopped onto his bed with the enthusiasm of a zombie. His parents were driving him beyond crazy. He was ready to lock himself in the basement with a computer until something interesting happened. He had figured a brief return to Banora would be worthwhile, but he'd never guessed how boring it would be without Sekai around.

Director Lazard and most of his crew only spent one night in Banora before leaving on Monday morning. Tuesday was painfully uneventful and then on Wednesday his parents had randomly remembered his birthday had come and gone while he was away and started pestering him. Genesis only had three more days in the quiet town before returning to Midgar.

Angeal's mother was keeping him thoroughly occupied and doing so much as calling Sekai was out of the question. He hadn't experienced a more boring summer day in a good four years. His schooling had always been with private tutors so he was able to school through the summer to make up for the two years that would wear on before he was legally old enough to join SOLDIER.

Technically, he wasn't even of age to join the elite organization until he was in Midgar for nearly one week of the trials. _No wonder Sekai was so pissed off…_ Genesis thought randomly, _I wasn't really supposed to leave for another year. It was next year's trials I was originally supposed to attend._

He was distracted by his thoughts when he heard one of his parents walking down the hall. He scowled, tempted to climb out his window with a computer and climb to the top of a Banora White tree and hope he could pick up on a wireless network.

Or he could try talking to Sekai.

_…No, climbing a tree with a fragile computer on board would be easier…_

He sat up and went to mess with his computer, inwardly remembering it hadn't really recovered from being literally frozen in Modeoheim. It wouldn't turn on or function at all after a week of being stored in freezing temperatures.

He stood up and locked the door, deciding that would be sufficient to keep his parents out. He'd probably have to open the laptop up or connect it to another computer to run proper troubleshooting tests. He drummed his fingers impatiently against the desk as it loaded. _It still won't burn discs…_

He decided to test a few basic things first to see if it was even worth the trouble of fixing. He could just order another one and it'd be there the following afternoon. After a while, he determined it couldn't connect to the Internet through a wireless, but did manage to get a slow connection with an external modem.

It still wouldn't burn or read discs though. The disc drive made a hellacious scraping sound every time he tried to open it and the eye refused to do anything. After messing with the disc drive a bit more, he gave up on determining what was wrong with it without a troubleshooter.

He stood up and rooted around one of the messy drawers in his desk for a connector while he turned his desktop on. After he located it and got the troubleshooter on his other computer ready, he slid his laptop down the desk and plugged the cable in.

After it verified the connection he inwardly noticed he was still online with the laptop. He went to turn the external modem off but saw a large amount of unread mail in his inbox. He paused the troubleshooter and went to his mail, scanning the list of senders.

He was surprised to see something from Sekai. He clicked it immediately, scowling at the slow computer as a small eternity transpired while it loaded. _I should do this on the desktop…_ he thought when it finally came up. The subject was 'Group Photo, eh?'

_Always making a spectacle of yourself, aren't you? :p_

He frowned and refreshed the page, disturbed that she'd written only one line. He looked at the time it was sent, realizing it was only a few minutes ago. She wasn't online, but he suspected she'd blocked him. He was about to try hacking her messenger to see if that was true, when footsteps echoed down the hall and someone knocked on his door.

"Genesis!" his mother called. He swore, wanting to bang his head against the desk.

"What?" he called back tiredly.

"Open the door, I need to ask you something."

"About what?"

"Genesis M. Rhapsodos, just open-"

_Ugh, why does she have to use my full name to make a point…?_

He stood up and trudged to the door. "What?" he repeated as he opened it.

"Sekai's birthday is coming up, isn't it?" He tried not to wince at her question. "Were you planning anything? You'll have to leave before it comes, so I hope you've thought about it."

"Uh, don't worry about it, mom, I've-"

"You've forgotten, haven't you?" she asked stubbornly.

"I didn't say that!" Genesis retorted.

"Genny dear, you can't remember your own birthday. It isn't that surprising."

"Mother, I'm _sixteen. _Please refrain from _calling _me that. Besides, I remembered this year…"

"Only because you were worming your way into SOLDIER a year early," his mother explained patiently.

Genesis sighed instead of swearing. "Well, whatever. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I already purchased her a present."

Genesis frowned. "What is it?"

"Don't look at me like that," his mother said dryly. "I have it on my dresser. And don't go unwrapping it to make sure you approve."

"What did you get her?" Genesis asked suspiciously. Her track record of presents…was disturbing. Especially when she'd send them without his knowledge, saying it was from him. There were numerous times she'd call him after sending such a package, laughing her ass off about some random gift.

_Well, at least she's telling me this time…_

"You'll see," she replied brightly. "The cooks will have dinner ready in an hour."

"Hey!" he yelled as she turned around and started down the hall. "What the hell did you get her?"

"Language!" his mother shouted back.

Genesis swore to himself before closing and locking the door. _All that wasted time…well, at least the troubleshooter is complete…_ He winced at the results on the desktop's screen. There were a good dozen hardware problems displayed. _Have I really dropped it that many times…?_

--

Final Hikari: I did the process described in the first disclaimer five more times before I got a copy of VII with the manual and official strategy guide for 79 with shipping. I asked the seller if she'd make it buy it now for me and I nearly exclaimed, "I love you…" XD

Genesis: …Right…why do the readers have to know this…?

Final Hikari: Because I, The Final Hikari, will be sending out the money order that will be bring me _the __**original **__**Final Fantasy VII!!**_

Genesis: -grumbles- I'm still not in it…

Final Hikari: But it's THE FFVII! I, The Final Hikari, will OWN a COPY of FFVII!! I'm so excited! My dream has finally come true!

Angeal: If you were going to pay that much for it you could have done it when you were absolutely obsessed with Cloud Strife in December 2006 after watching Advent Children…

Final Hikari: XD But I was broke then…and wasn't weakened by endless…endless…endless…bidding. And the original VII is MINE! -stands up on chair to glomp Genesis with joy-

Genesis: -runs- Never!

Zack: I told you not hugging her last disclaimer would bite you in the ass!

Angeal: …These disclaimers are getting _way _too long…and ridiculous…

Final Hikari: Oh, and yes, Genesis' mother just had to call him Genny and he had to hate it. XD I stared at my beloved kiriban most of this chapter…thanks Lioneh! XD


	9. If You'll Be Waiting

Final Hikari: -stands up on her chair, intending to glomp Genesis from behind while he's off guard-

Genesis: -.- I hear you climbing around back there.

Zack: -smirk- I told you so it would come back to haunt youuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Genesis: -glare- Are you getting that crap from the editor?

Final Hikari: Dammit. -sits down- I have to research the Turks now too. X.X SOLDIER…Tsivets…Turks…what next?!

Cloud: You forgot geography, history, science, and math.

Final Hikari: Holy crap, he's right…I have to try figuring out where stuff in located parallel to Midgar, how long ago Lucrecia actually died, get all my plothole patrol proof together, and add more. X.X Is this fan fiction or school?

Genesis: Or Chinese water torture…

Final Hikari: …Right. Well, it's my editor's vacation so this chapter is getting posted scary n' unedited. And I overheated my laptop and the spell checker erased itself…AGAIN. X.X And my VII hasn't shipped yet! -groan-

Genesis: -edges away as the other look at him accusatorily- Uh…Final Hikari doesn't own anything FFVII…

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 8

If You'll Be Waiting…

_Sekai Kurayami stood beside her aunt, watching as her parents gave their luggage to the employee on the train. They were the only ones boarding; it looked as though the train had been sent to Banora especially for them._

_Her mother turned and hurried back to where Sekai stood. She knelt down and hugged her. "We'll be back soon, sweetie, don't worry," she said kindly._

_"But __**when**__?" Sekai complained, hugging her mother tightly._

_"Before your birthday," her mother said with a smile, gently releasing her daughter._

_"But that's over a month later!"_

_Mrs. Kurayami placed a finger over her daughter's mouth. "Your aunt will stay here with you until we're back."_

_Sekai shot a wary glance up at her aunt to make sure she was distracted talking to her father. "But Auntie Etchinda is creepy!"_

_Her mother chuckled and patted her head reassuringly. "Auntie Etchinda will take care of you."_

_Sekai sighed and reluctantly let her hands be pried from her mother's sleeves. "Promise when you call you'll make Auntie let me talk too."_

_"I will," her mother promised._

_Sekai watched glumly as her mother joined the conversation her father was having with her aunt. As usual, Aunt Etchinda looked very irritable and was complaining. Sekai's parents didn't really support her claims that Aunt Etchinda reminded her of the evil step mothers or other villainesses from fairly tales._

_She waited unhappily for them to finish. She knew her parents were seldom sure of the exact time they'd be able to return to Banora. She also knew they always returned long after any promised dates._

_"Goodness!" her aunt exclaimed as though a great injustice had just been done to her. "Another train? Couldn't they wait until this one was gone? We never have two trains in one day. Can't those fools at Shin-Ra coordinate anything properly?"_

_Mrs. Kurayami laughed rather nervously. "Anthos, you really shouldn't be so hard on them…after all, we knew this train was coming."_

_"You did? Then why couldn't you have taken that one? It looks a lot newer than this useless old thing."_

_"Anthos, it's for the…ahem, the mayor's son…"_

_Sekai watched as the second train eased into the platform and stopped. She knew from all the times she'd wait with her aunt or other caretaker for her parents' train to return that there were always various safety checks and whatnot to be done before the doors opened and the passengers could leave._

_However, the door on the frontmost car was slammed open and a boy jumped from the edge onto the platform. Various loud, scolding voices called after him. He rolled his eyes at them and knelt down to tie his shoe mockingly as a female scientist who looked to be wearing heels hesitated to make the jump._

_"What a little hellion…," Sekai's aunt muttered. "How old is he? Is that really all he is, the mayor's son? Why would he get such special treatment?"_

_Sekai's mother and father exchanged tired looks. Evidently they decided an explanation would take too long._

_"Rhapsodos!" the woman called. "Come back here this instant, you have to have an escort! Your parents will have all of us fired with behavior like this!"_

_"They're going to think we can't even handle a child…," another groaned and pulled the woman in heels out of the doorway. This scientist, also wearing a white lab coat, jumped from the car to the platform easily._

_"Obviously you can't," the boy retorted. "At least the other idiots in Midgar knew what they were doing."_

_With that, he sprinted to the stairs leading out from the platform._

_"Rhapsodos! No running! And you're supposed to have an escort!"_

_Sekai watched as the scene transpired, inwardly wondering why they were all so persistent on him having an escort. __**I guess he looked kinda sick, but Banora is pretty small…all the kids walk around alone…**_

_"Damn, he's going toward the old mako mine…," one of the scientists groaned and hopped off the train and onto the platform._

_Sekai's attention was taken from the scene when her parents called her name and waved as they boarded the train. She looked back to them and waved back. She felt bad about it, but she wasn't that focused on her parents._

_Once she was sure they weren't looking she hurried over to the edge of the stairs and looked down to see where the boy had gone. She was just in time to see him turn right at the crossroad. Sekai frowned. She and her parents always turned left when they came here._

_She glanced over to see what her parents were doing, and if they were still looking at her. Her mother gave her aunt a quick one-armed hug before boarding the train. Her aunt would start looking for her in moments. She hesitated because she knew she'd get in trouble, but what was the worst that could happen?_

_She hurried down the stairs and ran across the platforms as quickly as she could. She guessed the boy must have been skipping at least two stairs at a time to cover the distance so quickly. The stone stairs looked older as they continued to descend. Most of them were surrounded thickly by Banora White trees, making her guess they lead near or though one of the plantations._

_Her parents had tried to impress a sense of direction in Sekai, so she knew vaguely that she was heading towards the eastern outskirts of Banora, where the trees were thickest._

_She reached another crossroad and stopped. The one that lead to the right was definitely newer and had high walls on the sides. The left path had numerous chipped stairs that had become discolored with age. The guard walls on the sides were missing large chunks and were lower._

_She had no idea where he'd gone. She walked over to the stairs on the left and noticed something unusual. About five steps down, a red drop of liquid rested._

_**Blood…? **__She wondered, instantly feeling sick and fearful. Other than scraping her knees a few times and having to go through the unpleasant process of having the scratch disinfected, she wasn't familiar with seeing the substance._

_She looked down the stairs and saw more; a bloody handprint toward the bottom. She didn't run at first as she followed the trail. The sight of it made her want to turn back, but she convinced herself to continue. She ran into several more crossroads, but she followed the trail of blood._

_Banora didn't have many stone structures. In fact, she vaguely remembered her parents telling her the stairs leading to and around the train station were the only ones above ground. She guessed this area wasn't visited very often because leaves and rotted dumbapples littered the off white stone._

_The Banora White trees themselves were rather overgrown. Some had branches protruding into the road while others arched completely over the path. She found herself staring up more than ahead at the massive trees._

_She turned an abrupt corner and instantly felt herself falling. The remaining guard wall had hidden the state of the top step from her. She yelped as she felt herself drop to her knees on the hollowed out stairs. She winced and felt tears spring to her eyes._

_She examined her predicament. The first five to ten stairs on the right had somehow been completely flattened. The stone's surface was still rough but the forms of the steps were gone. The guard wall and a large portion of where stairs should have been was completely missing. She swallowed, deciding she didn't want to think what would have happened if she'd fallen off._

_She noticed more blood smattered around the edge and fresh chips on the stone. She heard heavy breathing and looked down to the flat area before the next flight of stairs. The boy from the train station had his eyes tightly shut and was leaning again the guard wall._

_He didn't seem to see her as he sank into a sitting position. She winced as she saw blood smear down on the wall. The side and back of his shirt was soaked with blood. His left arm rested limply at his side, small scratches on his hand. His right arm reached over his shoulder, as though he were trying to reach the wound. Evidently he couldn't because his arm dropped to his lap, hand covered in blood. The injury seemed to be high on the left side of his back._

_**He must've heard me when I yelled…**__ she thought nervously, __**but what if he fainted? That's why he doesn't know I'm here… But that means he's hurt… There's nothing I can do…**_

_She saw the scratches on his hands and tear on the knee of his pants and looked to the ledge. She winced, inwardly guessing he hadn't been as lucky as she was and had to scramble not to fall to the ground, a yard or more below._

_She hesitantly stood and walked down the remainder of the stairs. She tried to walk quietly, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She stopped on the last stair and hesitated a long moment._

_"Um…hello?" she called out tentatively. "Are you…okay?"_

_His eyes snapped open and he looked over to where she stood. She almost jumped at how abruptly he reacted and the way his luminescent blue-green eyes seemed to see directly through her grey ones._

_"Who are you?" he asked sharply._

_"My-my name's Sekai," she stammered, the thought of being anything but truthful never crossing her mind. "Sekai Kurayami."_

_He seemed to relax slightly. "I guess you're not from Shin-Ra. You don't look mean enough."_

_She frowned slightly. "My parents work for Shin-Ra."_

_"Oh."_

_She stepped off the final stair and continued forward, but stopped a few feet away from him. "Who are you?"_

_He cast her a weary look. "Aren't little girls afraid of blood?" he questioned sarcastically, holding his right hand up to reveal that it was covered in the dark red substance. She didn't move and after a moment he spoke. "You can call me Genesis."_

_"What happened?" she asked simply. He raised an eyebrow questioningly as she stammered, "I-I mean, why are you hurt?"_

_"Ah," he said, looking up to the sky distantly. "Your guess is as good as mine, it isn't the first time they did something to me in Midgar then lied about it."_

_"But you're bleeding, isn't that kind of serious to lie about?" she asked nervously._

_"Well, I didn't really know how serious it was so it probably wouldn't have reopened if I hadn't been running…or fell up there."_

_"Aren't…," Sekai paused tentatively, "aren't you in pain?"_

_"Well, of course. It isn't that unusual."_

_She took a few steps closer and knelt down beside him. "Are you going to go back to those scientists?"_

_"Those freaks from Shin-Ra?" he scowled, "Why should I? They'll find me anyway."_

_"What about your parents? Won't they be worried?"_

_He scoffed at the thought. "Yeah, right. They're as bad as the scientists. If I ask them anything about what Shin-Ra is doing in Midgar or to me, they'll just lie."_

_"Won't you get in trouble for running away?"_

_"Probably. They expect it, so it'll be the scientists that'll be punished."_

_"Well…I guess I can see why you don't like them…but what about your parents? Don't you get lonely?"_

_He looked up at her with a questioning expression. "Lonely?"_

_"Yeah. I think it'd be really lonely without family."_

_He looked away from her again. "I'd be better off without my family. At least then I wouldn't be treated like a lab rat."_

_"Do you…hate your parents?" Sekai asked quietly. The idea was quite foreign to her._

_"I guess I do."_

_She expected the conversation to end even though she didn't really know where that would lead. He hadn't been reluctant to talk to her, but only answered her questions._

_"What about you?"_

_She blinked and looked up. "Huh?"_

_"How do you feel toward your parents?"_

_  
"I hate not being with my parents, but they're always leaving because of their jobs. They get the weirdest relatives to stay with me…my aunt is like the evil queen or step mother in fairy tales and my grandmother says the scariest things."_

_He smiled slightly. "Was that your aunt at the train station? The fat woman with a shrill voice?"_

_"Yeah…she looks really creepy, doesn't she?"_

_"She looks like my mother would without a few thousand gil a day for makeup."_

_Sekai blinked. "A few __**thousand**__?"_

_Genesis laughed at her expression. "Scary, eh?"_

_**…Did he really just smile?**_

_"Normal people…simply can't spend that much on themselves in a day," Sekai said, sounding truly bewildered._

_"You said your name was Sekai, right?"_

_"You're saying it wrong. There's an long e at the end. Seh-ky-ee."_

_"Really?"_

_"I said it twice, do you have hearing problems?"_

_"Maybe," he said with a smirk, "is that name Wutai? You don't look like you're from around there."_

_"I think my grandmother's father was from Wutai."_

_"The scary grandmother?"_

_"The scary one," Sekai affirmed pleasantly._

_"So I guess you don't want anybody ignoring that final long e, huh?"_

_"Not really."_

_"It could be a nickname."_

_"I like my full name."_

_"Fair enough, Sekai."_

_Sekai looked over her shoulder and asked, "Do you think those scientists got lost?"_

_"It's a good possibility," Genesis said thoughtfully._

_"You're just going to wait?"_

_"The weather is nice enough," he replied dryly._

_**He probably feels sick from bleeding so much… Mommy says it isn't good for someone to move or walk when they're hurt badly…**_

_"I'll wait with you," Sekai said, sitting down beside him._

_He looked rather surprised by her words. "You can go back if you want. I don't mind."_

_"That's alright," she said pleasantly as the wind shot through the trees and caused the leaves to rustle. "After all…the weather is nice enough," she said jokingly as she looked up, through the trees and to the sky._

_He smirked at her reply and followed her gaze. "Yeah…"_

Sekai's eyes fluttered open but her vision was blurry for a moment before clarifying. She looked around her room, inwardly noting it wasn't even dawn yet. She sat up with a yawn, ready to go back to sleep. It was far too early to wake up with the end of summer drawing near. _Why…did I dream of when I first met Genesis? I have no reason to feel guilty…_

She stood up and walked over to her window. A gentle, cool breeze was causing the shades to clatter against the windowsill. She reached for the cord and pulled them up. None of the houses were in the way, so she could still see pieces of the horizon. It was quite bright and when she looked up, hardly any stars remained visible in the sky.

_…Wait, what day is it?_

She still felt drowsy but turned away from the window to see the time on her clock. The digital numbers revealed it was only a little after four in the morning. She looked below and squinted to discern the smaller letters. She saw the date and nearly jumped.

"It's Saturday?" she exclaimed aloud though the house was silent, a combination of regret and anger washing over her. "Then he's already…gone?"

--

Angeal Hewley flipped his cell phone closed with a slightly bemused expression. "Mother, do you think we could pick Genesis up before driving to the train station? He said he'd be waiting at the entrance of Banora."

"That family has more trouble with the chauffeurs than average people do with their own cars," Gillian chuckled, picking up her car keys.

Angeal lifted his suitcase and followed his mother out the front door. _Genesis and Sekai still haven't tried apologizing…it's impossible to know when we'll be in Banora again, so I suppose they won't for a while._ Angeal thought, rather disappointed as he placed his suitcase in the trunk.

_I doubt either of them are mature enough to contact the other, _he thought tiredly as he took his seat in the car and pulled the door closed. _Well, Sekai might be…_ He smirked slightly at the thought. If one of them were to call or email the other hoping to make peace of the matter, it would probably be Sekai who acted first. Unless, of course, something got Genesis feeling guilty enough to do something.

Rhapsodos Manor was located on a hill on the eastern edge of Banora. The roads leading up to it were all dirt and Genesis had agreed to meet them on the bottom of the main one. They didn't go directly through the business district of Banora, but it wouldn't have mattered if they did. It was dawn and the horizon was just starting to brighten. The shops would just be opening.

Unsurprisingly, when they reached the dirt road leading to Rhapsodos Manor, Genesis was waiting with a suitcase and a separate laptop case. By the bloated appearance of the material case, it looked like he'd squeezed two laptops inside.

He hurried to the back of the car and put his suitcase in the trunk before opening the door to the back seat on the passenger side and thanking Angeal's mother for the ride. Angeal eyed the laptop case, which Genesis kept with him, only then noticing how tight the material was stretched over the contents.

"Do I even want to know what you have in there…?" Angeal asked warily.

"Two laptops, about twenty different connection wires, twenty blank discs, a few dozen portable memory drives, backup cell phone, I remembered a camera this time, along with-"

"Okay, don't think I need to know more… But Midgar is a huge city, you could probably buy most of that stuff there. We'll be there by tonight…"

"Yeah, but there's never time to do all that formatting in Midgar…"

Angeal shook his head. There was no talking to Genesis when it came to computers or electronics in general. Or making sense of his ramblings, for that matter. He remembered quite clearly when Genesis had had somebody from tech support thoroughly flabbergasted with his technological terminology.

"I'm surprised they didn't want you in the science department or in weapons development," Angeal said sarcastically.

Genesis winced. "Further away those crazies in white cloaks are from me, the better."

Even Gillian chuckled at his rude comment.

"What happened to having respect for your elders?" Angeal questioned dryly.

"I don't have any problems respecting my elders, I would rather not do the same for the crazy ones," Genesis explained stubbornly. "They're _creepy_."

It didn't take long for them to reach the train station. The parking lot was all but vacant this early in the morning. Nevertheless, Genesis, Angeal, and Gillian took the old stairs up.

Genesis' expression was distant as he stared down at the stairs. Angeal followed his gaze, inwardly wondering how long ago it was when the stairs were still perfectly white. They were still intact but had become faded and worn down. They'd probably need to be replaced in the next few years.

The incline got steeper as they neared the top. There was a small building built atop the large, open stone area, just a flight of stairs below the train platform itself. The ticket booth was located there near the gift shop. Angeal had never actually entered the gift shop though he figured Genesis had. It was a mystery to Angeal how his friend was so loose with hundreds of gil, but no matter where they went, if there was free time, he'd stop at a gift shop and find something to waste money on.

_I wonder if he ever gave all that stuff to Sekai…_ Angeal thought randomly, thinking of the ever growing pile of souvenirs. Genesis has been extremely irritated when his credit card had become brittle from the cold in Modeoheim and shattered when he dropped it. The payment problems that ensued were formidable in size. He couldn't help but wonder what his parents thought of the expensive credit card bills.

The train was all ready waiting when they reached the platform. Genesis went to purchase their tickets, idly refusing the gil Angeal offered. The woman behind the booth struggled at her computer a few minutes before she could make Genesis' debit card go through. Evidently they weren't really outfitted for such forms of payment.

Genesis' expression remained distant as he stared up at the sky, waiting to get their tickets. Angeal glanced over to the staircase that led back to the parking lot as a few more people came up the stairs and headed to the ticket booth.

"I wonder when I'll see her again…," Genesis muttered under his breath.

Despite being distracted, Angeal heard and knew exactly what he was thinking about. Or more precisely, who.

--

Sekai Kurayami hurried around her room getting dressed and pulling her shoes on, dialing her cell phone as she stumbled out the front door. Her grandmother would probably call asking where she was if she didn't get back soon enough, but she wasn't focused on that. She was more intent on trying to get in touch with _someone _who would know when they were leaving.

While dashing around her room she determined Gillian Hewley would be the best choice. However, finding Angeal's mother's phone number in her cell phone was proving difficult. It wasn't in her address book and her call logs were empty.

She was glad it was still early in the morning because she could still mess with the phone while running without having to worry about running into anybody. She pushed the gate that led out of their yard open and let it slam closed. She usually scolded people for letting it slam, but she was in a hurry.

Then she remembered. She had Gillian Hewley's phone number on her computer under Angeal's contact information. She'd gotten her current cell phone from Genesis as a present the previous year so it was quite up-to-date, but she didn't know if she could get that much information trying to sign online with it. If she recalled properly, it could because it was connected to Genesis' internet provider. She didn't have the foggiest idea about how he'd actually arranged it and how much of it functioning was legitimate or courtesy of his hacking.

She managed to get the number as she reached the top of the hill that sloped down into the residential area of Banora. She'd heard from Reno that they were taking a train. He'd been quite crestfallen he wasn't going to be able to mooch a ride in a helicopter to Midgar.

She was hurrying through the business district of Banora toward the old train station. Most of the businesses were just starting to open their stores for that day's business. She cursed at the growing amount of activity in the small town. It wouldn't have been bothersome at all if she weren't hurrying and out of breath. Her legs were starting to ache and a stitch was forming in her side as she dialed Gillian's number.

Each time it rang she got more dark thoughts on why she wasn't answering. _She probably doesn't really need a cell phone…she could have left it home or in her car… For all I know Angeal's ants carried it off to his terrarium!_

Then she picked up.

"Hello?" Gillian asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"Mrs. Hewley!" Sekai exclaimed breathlessly. "Have Angeal and Genesis left yet?"

"Sekai? Are you alright?" she asked, sounding concerned at the girl's heavy breathing.

Sekai swore silently to herself. "I'm fine. Are they still here?"

"Yes," Gillian replied hesitantly. "But is everything okay?"

She hardly heard Gillian's words after reassuring her that she was okay. At first she felt relieved but the question as to what she was going to say returned. She tried to dismiss it, inwardly noticing she heard Genesis asking Angeal why his mother had a cell phone in the background of the call.

"Thanks," Sekai said fondly. "Are they at the train station?"

"Yes, Genesis is purchasing his ticket. There seem to be some payment troubles…is there some sort of problem?"

"No, I'll be right there," Sekai replied, not wanting to volunteer more information. She didn't want to lie to Angeal's mother, but she didn't want to waste time talking.

--

Genesis cast his friend a skeptical look. "Your mother has a cell phone?"

Angeal rolled his eyes. "Of course she has a cell phone, dumbapple."

Genesis frowned at the name. "But isn't she a little too old fashioned to have a-" he stopped suddenly and glance and Gillian when he heard the absolutely last name he expected her to be getting a call from. Angeal hadn't heard his mother say Sekai's name and regarded Genesis questioningly.

Genesis pulled his cell phone from his pocket to see if he had any missed calls. There weren't any and he flipped it closed, dissatisfied. Before he could return to his thoughts, one of the two cashiers that had been trying to make his debit card work stammered and called to him.

"Mr. Rhapsodos?"

"It isn't going to work?" he asked dryly, turning around.

"Um, no, there's a slight delay on the train…you see, it's an older model and-"

"How long will it take?"

"Twenty minutes," she replied quickly.

"That's it?"

"Yes. The Turk that came to Banora has already taken care of informing Shin-Ra about the delay."

"Don't tell me this Turk is Reno…," Genesis muttered with a wince. _By the time he'd locate his cell phone, he'd have forgotten whom he was supposed to call…and he never left Banora…_

"I'm afraid I didn't catch his name," she replied, "you can give your baggage to the train workers and wait for them to be ready wherever you please. We know matters involving SOLDIER and the Turks are very important to Shin-Ra and…," she was interrupted when her assistant let out a loud cheer. She grimaced, mumbling something about losing her job for being unprofessional.

The other cashier bounced over to give Genesis his debit card, receipt, and two tickets cheerfully, evidently quite pleased with herself for making the unusual payment method work. Genesis thanked them and pocketed his debit card and ticket. He handed the second ticket to Angeal as Gillian closed her cell phone.

"Even Sekai's grandmother is clueless on how to work cell phones…"

"Please, don't associate her with my mother…especially after…after _that,_" Angeal groaned quietly. He turned to his mother saying, "There's a delay on the train. We can give our luggage to the workers, though."

"Ah, good," Gillian replied pleasantly, "Sekai is coming to see you off."

"You should wait for her here, I'll take care of your suitcase," Angeal said, lifting both suitcases and starting up the steps before Genesis could object.

"Hey!" Genesis called after his friend irritably.

"What?" Angeal asked, looking rather pleased with himself. "Do you want that other case taken too?"

"No," Genesis replied quickly and grabbed his laptop case.

"Good, see you in a few minutes then," Angeal replied quickly and continued up the steps. Gillian chuckled and followed.

Genesis swore quietly to himself. _They really must want me to apologize… _he thought tiredly, remembering his mother that morning insisting he take their present for Sekai with him. Even his parents, who were usually as aware of his activities as a tech support geek on Wutai, had started to wonder why Sekai wasn't around at all. His mother had, at least.

He leaned against the rail that encircled the platform and examined the square corner poking out of his bag. His mother, as usual, refused to tell him what she'd bought for Sekai. At first he was slightly relieved it was a small box because it couldn't be some ridiculous clothes - he still clearly remembered how hard Sekai had laughed when _that _package had come in the mail - but then he started wondering what in _hell_ his mother could have gotten that _small._

_I'll have to get a bulletproof case for this computer once I'm in Midgar… _Genesis thought randomly. If all his computers had to endure what they had in Modeoheim, he'd probably go through them quite fast. He hoped to make the new one he had ordered shortly after returning to Banora last a few weeks.

_Sekai would wince if she saw the price of the one I ruined in Modeoheim… _He thought with a small smile. _Her computer is a good three years old now. She really can't do much on it for it to last so long…_

He looked up when he heard hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs. As he guessed, it was Sekai. He could hear her heavy panting as she reached the top of the steps, saw him, and stopped. She was slightly red in the face and her breathing didn't slow for the moment they stayed silent.

Genesis straightened and walked toward her, resisting the impulse to look over his shoulder to see if Angeal and his mother were spying from the top of the other staircase. It wouldn't surprise him if they were…

He stopped a few steps away from her, struggling for words. Her expression wasn't particularly expectant, but it was obvious she was waiting for him to speak up first. "Hey, I'm…well…I'm sorry about all the crap that went on…both times. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was being an ass and-"

"And a dumbapple," she finished, still breathless, and she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck. He hadn't expected it and nearly stumbled backward. "I'm glad you're still here."

"The train was delayed," he replied simply, patting her awkwardly on the back. He was sure he heard one of the two cashiers at the ticket booth say 'awww' or something equally… annoying.

"How long?" she questioned her head resting against his shoulder.

"Only about ten minutes left."

"Oh," she murmured, sounding slightly disappointed.

They were silent for a moment before he remembered. "Ah! Uh, my mother got you something."

Sekai stepped back as he knelt down to open his laptop case. She stared at a moment, frowning at its dimensions. "How much _crap_ is in there?"

"You have no idea how many times I've been asked that…," Genesis half-grumbled with a smirk. A few wires and USB drives poked out of the sides as he pulled a small box out of the far corner of the case.

Sekai examined the small box with a smile. "Should I thank you or your mother?"

"Probably my mother, I have no idea what it is."

Before she could reply, Angeal called to them from the top of the stairs. "Hey, Genesis! The train's leaving!"

They both looked up and Genesis swore quietly. He managed to shove all the random computer accessories back into and zip it again without much trouble. He stood and cast her an apologetic look.

"I'll email you, okay?" Genesis said, trying to sound reassuring.

She nodded with a sad smile and hesitated before replying, "See you soon…and good luck."

"Thanks," he replied, though it still felt incomplete. He turned around and hurried up the stairs, trying not to look back.

"I-I'll be waiting," she called after him.

He stopped and glanced back. "I'll be back," he said with a smile.

--

Sekai watched as he disappeared and stood still for a long moment. The platform was nearly vacant now. _At least…I got to see him again…I was really starting to think I wasn't going to get the chance._

_But…what about now? Who knows when he'll be back in Banora… _Her shoulders slumped as the regretful sadness returned to hang like a veil over all her thoughts. They had planned to make the most of the last week he'd be in Banora before he left for the trials. _We really did waste a lot of time._

She heard steam being blown from the train and the sound of one of the doors closing loudly. The noise shook her from her thoughts. She hesitated a moment, inwardly thinking her muscles would object greatly, but then broke into a run.

She didn't slow down when she reached the stairs even though her lungs had yet to recover completely from the previous run. She stumbled to the top just as the train lurched into motion. She saw a window open and Genesis leaned out to wave. She smiled despite herself, waved back, and ran up to the rails near the tracks.

She felt pain continue to flood her mind as Genesis was yelled at and told to get back in the train. She didn't lower her hand until the train was gone and the others on the platform started leaving. Nevertheless, she didn't follow.

She glanced down at the small present and wiped her sleeve over her eyes. _I forgot...it's nearly my birthday already. Another year passed...how many will that make it that I've stood here waving people off? I watched my parents leave when I was little and now Genesis is leaving... I have more than seven years of bad memories that all go the same way…_

_I never…wanted to leave Banora. I was always content __here, even after my parents died. It's disrespectful to my grandmother, but I feel alone now… I suppose it wouldn't be this bad if they all didn't leave for the same place…_

"Midgar…," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes a moment to listen to the wind ripping through the nearby trees.

_No…I don't want to stay here anymore. Everyone is gone._

She absent mindedly undid the bow on the box and slid her finger under the tape that kept the wrapping paper in place.

_I couldn't do anything when my parents left, but they were always supposed to come back. I'm still too young to __**do **__anything, but Genesis won't be coming back…SOLDIER won't let him return for any length of time._

_**As long as I stay here I'm being left behind.**_

She looked down at the small, red, and spherical object in the box. She frowned and lifted it out to examine the smooth ball. "A…materia?"

--

Final Hikari: -slumps in chair- PHEW. My VII and guide are ordered. XD My money orders are out. Now all that's left is waiting…

Genesis: Well, there's certainly a lot of that going on in this chapter.

Final Hikari: Mmm. I had the damnedest time stretching this event to chapter size. See, it was supposed to be the end of the last chapter…

Cloud: …but you got lazy. -.-

Final Hikari: XD And that chapter was getting to be big enough to stand alone. And I was tormented to know the fate of my VII.

Zack: And it is also why, in the Book of Affection, the hug's obsessive cousin, _**the glomp **_has come back to haunt youuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Genesis: -twitch- You have to be fraternizing with the editor! There is no other way you could be so _annoying!_

Dr. Meh: -takes her flashcards back from Zack with the epitome of innocence look-

Genesis: -.- -turns to Final Hikari- Why did you have to pick an editor who hates me!?

Final Hikari: -epitome of innocence-

Genesis: -.- I know you played a trick on her that insured she wouldn't even give me a chance by the time she got Crisis Core.

Final Hikari: -cackles with a distant look- And an epic trick that was…though it really has come to bite me in the ass. XD But WAH. The disclaimer is out of date! Also, if you see anything really weird or random at Genesis' expense, it's my editor seeking revenge and messing around with the edits. X.X Please inform me if you see anything like that, because it isn't me…


	10. Ash

Final Hikari: Okay, just for the record, I calculated Nero is six and Weiss ten in this chapter. I will not bore you with what it took to figure THAT out…

Genesis: No, we certainly don't because you'll just gripe about your duties as a fan fiction author.

Final Hikari: -looks innocent- Who, me?

Genesis: -.-

Final Hikari: :D They're worse when just writing normal fiction. Anyway! -turns to readers- You know how most First Class SOLDIERs have fan clubs? I thought of what Nero's would be named if he had one in the CC timeline.

Sephiroth: …Should we be afraid?

Final Hikari: …I won't ask how you got in the disclaimer…betsuni iikedo! Nero's fan club would be named "Nerotics!" Anybody get it?

-crickets cheep, disclaimer characters stare-

Final Hikari: …C'mon, somebody must get it! Nerotics? Neurotics? -sigh- Ah well. Seph, do the disclaimer.

Sephiroth: …

Final Hikari: -pokes him with stick- Do the disclaimer.

Sephiroth: I am a First Class SOLDIER. I do not take commands from author half my age.

Final Hikari: -.- Fine. I don't own anything Final Fantasy VII. If I did, there would be a lot more official wallpapers of Genesis and a game with him as the main character. And it would be out before we're all in college and can't afford video games! And…and…and…! -is dragged off by Genfantrymen-

Genesis: -mutter- When did copies get in the disclaimers?

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 9

Ash

Weiss sat beside his younger brother, watching impassively as employees clad in a variety of uniforms passed by. They were mainly infantryman, doctors, scientists, and secretaries passing through the main entrance of the Shinra building.

_Then again, there's hardly any difference between a doctor and scientist around here. _Weiss thought sourly. _At least, in Deepground there isn't._ He probably would have tried escaping with his brother right then and there if it weren't for the infantryman posted at the entrance. There would be more outside, maybe even a low ranking SOLDIER.

Nevertheless, Weiss and Nero could have been invisible and would have been noticed just as much. It was curious how two children in the Shinra building could go completely unacknowledged for so long. Weiss was starting to wonder if the woman in a lab coat that usually oversaw them even remembered she was supposed to take them into Midgar.

Weiss had lost interest in seeing the outside world. The infamous mako city didn't remain interesting to look at after hearing about the atrocities that transpired in its sectors. Not just below the plate, either. They tried to use the army as a police force to protect the civilians, but it didn't seem to be working very well.

The people in charge of the procedures the two brothers underwent and other forms of their 'training' had noticed Weiss had become even more despondent. He had no reason to explain it was disgust with Shinra for letting their failed experiments return to the company, pretending to be the strongest force of defense they had.

Sephiroth had at least been given conventional training in addition to countless mako injections. Sephiroth was supposed to be the superior SOLDIER since his birth, and it wasn't surprising Sephiroth held up to what was expected of him and became a legend.

Hollander was far from Shinra's best. He probably had more to offer than some of the scientists that controlled what procedures were carried out by the Deepground's higher-ups, but he was playing with forces beyond his control. Hojo and Gast were the closest to mutating a human into their illusory 'ultimate life form' in Weiss' mind.

It was disgraceful to see Hollander's monsters in SOLDIER. Even if they were just Third Class new recruits, it made it even more sickening that they refused to let Weiss himself join once he was of age.

When he heard them contemplating allowing Nero to join, he was rather torn. In the end he resigned to the fact that he couldn't resent his younger brother for being the more successful experiment. It was rather frustrating that Nero had the opportunity to join SOLDIER in a few years whereas Weiss, who desperately wanted a place in the organization, was denied.

Weiss was jarred from his thoughts when a woman clad in a white Shinra lab coat over jeans and a black shirt stopped in front of them. Nero looked up at her hopefully. He'd been excited about going out in Midgar all week. Weiss couldn't bring himself to share such anticipation, but did submit to going along with them.

"Are you our guide?" Nero asked hopefully.

The woman surveyed them uninterestedly. "Subjects Sable and Abyss?"

Weiss pursed his lips at the term. He didn't like his assigned name. "Correct," he replied flatly.

"Good. You have six hours in the city, three with me and then three with your second guide. I assume you have been informed of the conditions?"

"Yes, we know the security protocol," Weiss said uninterestedly.

"Good. Are you ready to leave?"

Weiss had to stop himself from snapping 'no shit' at the clueless scientist. Wasn't it obvious they were _waiting_? "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded and handed them both ID cards, which Weiss shoved in his pocket without looking at it, while Nero examined his. They were both given fake last names. Nero looked up this older brother, red eyes cheerful. "The last name they gave me this time is 'Valentine.' What about you, brother? Is it the same?"

"Yeah," Weiss muttered and looked away while fingering the ID card in his pocket.

Nero frowned. "You didn't even look at your card. How do you know?"

Weiss sighed and pulled the card out, already knowing it wouldn't be the same. He held it close to his eyes and above Nero's head so he didn't see. "Yeah, it's the same." Weiss replied as he pocketed it again, inwardly tired of being 'Crescent' again. For the sake of his reputation in SOLDIER, if he ever made it, he hoped he could find out his real last name or select one himself instead of being named after Shinra's scientists.

Nero was quickly distracted as they exited the Shinra building and the buildings of Sector 6 came into view. Nero ran ahead to the gate leading to the city as their 'guard', or 'keeper', as Weiss thought of them, called after him to slow down. The guard didn't make any attempt to chase after him, of course.

Nero stopped and fidgeted while waiting impatiently for the other two to catch up. Even at the slow pace, they had reached the city in a few minutes. Despite having seen it dozens of times, Nero still ran around asking what stores they could go into and chatting with all the clerks. He'd always get in trouble for that, of course, but the workers never knew he was anything more than an excited but slightly unruly child.

Though the guard did her best to avoid it, Nero still spotted the candy store and dashed off. Weiss kept pace with the guard, much to Nero's displeasure. Weiss glanced up as the scientist swore and hurried after him when Nero ducked into the shop's door. Weiss smirked slightly to himself, figuring they'd gotten this one before. She knew Nero would have bought a large bag of sweets and expect the guard to pay by the time she was inside.

Though the scientist firmly refused to pay for the candy, Nero still came out of the shop with a small lollipop the guilty clerk had let him have for free. Weiss' younger brother was plenty content with it, though the scientist was lecturing him on proper diet.

When they reached Fountain Square near LOVELESS Avenue, Nero jumped onto one of the benches to walk around the edge of the great stone fountain. Their guide swore and chased after him, ordering him to get down. Weiss watched uninterestedly as Nero grinned and ran around to the other side of the fountain. He was surprisingly nimble on the wet stone surface.

A woman with a toddler and a girl about Nero's age who was sitting on the bench gasped as Nero ran behind them and the Shinra scientist dove after him. Weiss couldn't help but smirk as the scientist fell right into the fountain. The splash her form created was formidable as she tumbled in. Nero grinned and hopped off, smiling cheerfully at the mother and her daughters.

"Sorry about that," Nero apologized politely as the scientist stood up, soaking wet, white lab coat wrapping around her legs and hindering her movement as she struggled to stumble out of the fountain. She nearly tripped a second time but caught herself on the edge. At that very moment the fountain's jets of water turned on, spraying water all down the angry guard's back.

The mother grimaced at the swearing scientist before glancing at Weiss and Nero. Weiss was hanging back so she didn't pay much attention to him and looked instead at the warmly smiling Nero. Her gaze settled on Nero's eyes and her expression darkened slightly. Nero didn't notice at first, but Weiss saw his smile fade as the mother lifted her toddler into her arms and left, beckoning her other daughter to follow.

Weiss' estimate of the older daughter's age to be around Nero's seemed accurate; maybe a little older, if anything. She had long orange hair that tumbled around her shoulders and bright blue eyes. Her expression was calm and unfazed as she observed Nero's blood red eyes. She didn't follow her mother at first and held her hand out to Nero, about to introduce herself, when her mother realized she wasn't following.

They both looked up as the mother turned around and cast a disapproving look toward Nero. The displeased scientist teaching her children words she probably would not want them knowing for another ten or more years seemed to be less of a worry than Nero himself.

"Shalua!" The mother called crossly.

The girl looked up to her mother and lowered her hand. "Sorry," she muttered and hurried after her mother. Once the trio was on their way and the girl took her mother's hand, she cast an apologetic look over her shoulder before being gently tugged along.

Nero was also frowning as he turned to Weiss. "What'd I do wrong?"

"I think the scientist scared them off," Weiss lied, coming to stand beside his younger brother and ruffling his hair. "With language like that, who wouldn't be disturbed?"

Nero gave an evidently forced smile. Their scientist guard finally managed to get out of the fountain to glower down at them. "I am returning to the Shinra building. Your next guard will be coming shortly. If you aren't waiting right here when he gets here we'll send SOLDIER operatives after you."

Weiss gave her a thumbs up, only infuriating her more as she walked briskly away in the direction they'd come. Instead of fluttering impressively behind her, her lab coat flopped against her legs with less than elegant slapping sounds. Weiss smirked at the wet trail of footprints she was leaving behind.

Nero glanced up to his brother, expression inquisitive. "Are we really going to wait?"

"Of course not," Weiss said matter-of-factly and ran to the staircase that lead to an upper level of the city. Nero grinned and ran after him.

"Where are we going?"

"To the train station," Weiss said simply.

"Then where are we going?"

"Wherever the train that's boarding is going."

"Where's that?" Nero asked innocently.

Weiss shook his head slightly. "No idea."

_Perhaps this won't be so boring after all, _Weiss thought to himself. _I doubt we'd have the chance to leave Midgar, but maybe we can go to Sectors we've never been allowed in before…_

When they arrived at the platform, it was packed with morning commuters. There were two trains parked, one with passengers flooding off, the second with lines of people entering. Weiss looked at the screens on the platform that displayed the trains' departure and arrival times. The sign said the one that had just arrived was going to stay for another hour while the one that was boarding was heading to the Market in the slums in twenty minutes.

If Weiss had been alone, he'd have hurried to board the train as quickly as possible. However, with Nero with him, he hesitated. Did he really want to take his younger brother to the slums? They were always crawling with monsters and people just as unpleasant.

"Aren't we leaving?" Nero asked, looking up to his brother.

Weiss was interrupted from his thoughts and glanced at the train. "Yeah…," he paused. "Let's go."

Nero ran toward the line of people cheerfully but Weiss groaned and held him back. "We can't get on with the passengers just yet, we don't have any money." He pointed to the infantryman taking the required gil from each passenger. _Shin-Ra makes them do such menial crap…_ Weiss thought randomly as he pointed to the emergency exit on the back of the train. "We're getting on through there."

Nero looked up at him skeptically as Weiss scanned the area to make sure they weren't being watched. Once he was sure they were drawing zero attention, he pulled Nero along and jumped between the two trains and onto the tracks. Nero followed slower than Weiss would have liked. The longer they were visible, the more likely they were to be noticed.

Weiss knelt down and motioned for Nero to do the same when a few laughing school girls passed. Nero, despite his pale skin, blended into the dark nook better with his black hair and dark clothes than Weiss did. His natural white-blond hair never seemed to blend in.

Once the girls had passed, Weiss slipped over to the left side of the small platform the emergency exit was located on. He didn't want to waste time since it would be too dangerous to remain on the tracks once the train restarted its engines. Weiss lifted himself up and pulled Nero up second. Kneeling to avoid notice, he slid the emergency exit door open swiftly. He didn't open it far, just enough for Nero and himself to slide through sideways.

Nero was looking around at the crowds when his brother grabbed the back of his shirt and shoved him in. Weiss scanned the platform suspiciously, checking for SOLDIER uniforms. He didn't see any and followed silently while sliding the door closed. Nero blinked under the bright lights of the train, slightly disoriented. Luckily, one of the back benches was open and Weiss sat, pulling Nero up with him.

They didn't say anything as more passengers came aboard and took their seats, but Nero was still looking around the train car. He seemed very interested in something, though at first glance, Weiss didn't notice anything unusual.

"Brother, why aren't the windows on that side tinted?" Nero asked, pointing at the windows on the right side of the train car. Weiss scanned the windows, noticing they were all perfectly transparent. He then look to the left, noticing that only a few older ones had a green tint.

He didn't share his brother's interest, but did scan train car for more abnormalities. A few of the benches that were slightly off-white had cracks in them. Most of the ones on the right side were a pristine, recently manufactured white. The train had definitely undergone some remodeling, but not by the choice of the owner, by the look of it.

"It looks like it was shot at," Weiss observed simply.

"Really?" Nero asked, slightly apprehensive.

"Definitely," Weiss said and pointed up at the plastic casings on the overhead lights. "A few are cracked, and there's a little round hole on the right side of that one."

"What do you think happened?"

"Who knows? It could have been anything."

They were silent as the train began filling up. It had been about a quarter full when Weiss and Nero snuck on, but it was full in no more than ten minutes. Like the people on the platform, they were mainly office workers or students. It was still early enough in the morning for them to be traveling.

The doors were closing when someone jumped up onto the edge of the entrance and placed their hand on the door. The doors retracted and remained open though the train was ready to go. Weiss straightened to try and see the person.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Nero asked and Weiss knelt on his seat to see over the head of the person in front of them. He couldn't see the late arrival's face clearly, as he wasn't facing their direction. His auburn hair flopped in front of his face when he did turn around, shielding his features yet again. He showed the infantrymen an ID card as he stepped into the train, followed by another boy a little older than he was.

_They aren't in SOLDIER uniforms, I shouldn't be so on edge…_ Weiss thought as he dropped back into his seat and the two teenagers hurried past them to sit two benches back. Nero was about to repeat his question when Weiss motioned from him to be silent.

"Holy crap! I think this is the same train that-"

"Shhh!" the older looking one scolded. "Not so loud."

"Sorry," the first voice belonging to the auburn haired boy replied. Their conversation continued for a few moments but Weiss couldn't understand a word of it.

The two infantrymen regained their positions guarding the front door that lead to the conductor's room when the train lurched into motion. It went slowly until entering the tunnel, away from the platform. From there it gained speed until settling at a pace fast enough for the large buildings of Midgar to speed past in a blur.

The majority of the trip was uneventful. At one point Weiss moved and let Nero have the window seat. Nero was mesmerized by the city going by, whereas Weiss was familiar with the sights. There was nothing 'exciting' about seeing a city that wasn't even complete. "Where are we going, anyway?" Nero asked, never breaking his gaze from the window.

"To the Market in the slums. It's pretty close to the train station down there, so…"

"You mean we're going below the plate?" Nero asked, turning around, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Weiss arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Well…yeah. Is it that impressive?"

"I've never been below the plate. What's it like?"

"A mess. You'll see," Weiss said dryly. He paused, not wanting Nero to be that hopeful about going to the slums of all places. "The people down there are disgraceful. A lot of them are thieves or bounty hunters. There are some residential areas that aren't that bad, but they were the elite housing developments before the plate was constructed."

"They weren't as technologically advanced, but the slums used to be big cities, right?" Nero asked, "That's what all the books and databases say."

"Supposedly, yeah," Weiss replied. "It's nice to think they were drastically reduced, but there were less than savory sections even before the plate…"

Nero nodded and returned to watching the buildings go by. "When are we going to go under the plate? What will it look like?"

Weiss tried not to sigh. He was unusually impatient with his younger brother's questions. "The tracks will start to tilt downward and it'll look like a tunnel."

"Really?"

"Really," Weiss replied with a yawn. He leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. Any hopes of a nap that formed in his mind were dashed when a few light footsteps approached their bench and the person spoke.

"Are you the boys from before?" Weiss opened his eyes and straightened as Nero jumped. Weiss observed her for a moment, recognizing her orange hair and glasses as the girl at the fountain earlier.

"Maybe," Weiss said shortly. He glanced at his watch briefly. _Crap, we're almost there._

Nero recognized her and smiled, reaching his hand over Weiss to shake her hand. "Hi, my name's Nero!"

She glanced at Weiss' displeased look and shook his hand. "I'm Shalua Rui. Don't you have a last name?"

"Uh…today it's Valentine," Nero said thoughtlessly.

Weiss swore to himself and elbowed Nero with a critical glare. Shalua's puzzled expression deepened as Weiss reluctantly spoke up. "It's Crescent. Our last name is Crescent."

"I see," the young girl said. "I'm seven years old."

"I'm six," Nero said brightly.

Weiss pursed his lips. _Do all children this small give out information like this so freely? It's dangerous and doesn't make any sense…_ Weiss was trying to let Nero have some form of a childhood, though he himself was void of one.

"What about you?" she asked, look up at Weiss.

"I don't think it's-"

"He's ten," Nero interjected.

_I suppose there's no reason to be on guard…she's just a normal girl after all, _Weiss thought resignedly.

"I have a younger sister," Shalua said, stepping forward and sitting down in the middle of the bench between the two brother. Weiss scowled and scooted closer to the edge. "She's only two years old though. My mom spends a lot of time with her these days."

"I don't have a mother," Nero shrugged, "I don't really know what that would be like."

"Everybody has a mother."

Weiss cleared his throat loudly to interrupt. "Speaking of mothers, isn't that yours looking for you?"

Shalua crossed her arms in reply. "My mommy isn't here. I'm going to school."

"Aren't you a little young to be traveling alone?"

"My mommy knows that infantryman."

"How do you know? They all look the same," Weiss said dryly.

She pursed her lips in reply. "My school opens at eight thirty. I take this train every morning so I'm on time."

"You're on the wrong train," Nero informed her. "This one is going to the market in the slums."

"But my school is above the plate!" she exclaimed, worry crossing her expression. "My family's better than that."

"Call your mother. Don't you have a phone?" Weiss asked dismissively.

"No."

"Brother, let her use our phone!"

"We don't have a phone," Weiss lied, even though the Shinra line for emergencies hardly counted. If they used it, not only would they be tracked down immediately, but the call would be recorded and the girl's family would probably be put under surveillance. It was far more trouble than it was worth. Sensing his younger brother was about to object again, Weiss added, "I forgot to bring it today."

"Oh…," Nero trailed off, looking disappointed. "Wouldn't there be a phone at the train station?"

"Only a pay phone," Weiss reminded him.

"I have some money for my lunch," Shalua suggested. "Would that be enough?"

"Find out for yourself, I'm not helping you," Weiss said stubbornly.

Nero was already protesting, but Weiss was distracted immediately when the two infantrymen in the front of the train car began to speak. He listened closely and looked to the floor, trying not to stare.

"Two targets were just reported missing," one said, flipping a phone shut. The other nodded as he continued, "We have to monitor the passengers boarding and leaving the train."

"Will we inspect their tickets again before they get off?" the other man asked as Weiss listened intently to their conversation, Nero and Shalua's voices sounding much further away.

_Damn it, _Weiss thought darkly. _We'll have to try sneaking through the emergency exit again. _

"That wasn't part of the instructions, but do it. That's probably why those SOLDIERs came, they must have gotten the notice before us."

Weiss' eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. _SOLDIERs. _He licked his lips nervously and tried not to look over his shoulder. He was sure those two late passengers were the SOLDIERs. Their appearance wouldn't have been so suspicious if it weren't for the ID cards they'd been allowed on by showing.

Nero didn't notice his sudden tension but Shalua, being seated next to him, did. She looked away from Nero and up at Weiss, her eyes questioning behind her glasses. Nero stopped talking and followed her gaze.

Weiss snapped to attention. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Did something happen?" Shalua asked inquisitively.

"No," Weiss shot back harshly. "Go back to your seat."

The young girl frowned. "Why all that again?"

He heard somebody shift in the back of the train as it started to slow. His breathing and heartbeat accelerated as he pushed Shalua to her feet and over into the walkway. She stumbled and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" she yelled shrilly. Weiss swore out loud as Nero pulled on his sleeve, demanding unhappily to know what he was doing. He didn't dare look but he heard footsteps.

"We have to get out of here!" Weiss said urgently, also stepping out into the walkway. _SOLDIERs. SOLDIERs are on the train. _Plans of escape dashed from his mind as quickly as they came in his panicked state. _Infantrymen in the front and SOLDIERs in the back…_

_But if those two teenagers were the SOLDIERs, they aren't __**that**__ much older than I am…_ He was still calculating possibilities as he grabbed Nero's arm and pulled him toward the edge of the bench. He finally took the time to look over his shoulder, but before he got the chance, his right arm and left shoulder were gripped tightly and he was lifted off his feet.

His breath caught in his throat and he thrashed against the SOLDIER's grip. He kicked out but only succeeded in causing Shalua to scream and fall backward to avoid him. Her voice alerted any passenger that wasn't already staring that something was happening.

He was able to brace one foot against the back of one of the benches and pushed against the SOLDIER, but he was being overpowered as his wrists were being wrestled behind his back. _I hate this…I won't be forced into submission __**again**__!_

The SOLDIER stepped back but never lost his balance. He suddenly felt weak as the teenage SOLDIER with black hair hauled Nero out of the seat and into the walkway. Nero didn't even bother resisting. He let himself be pulled back and away from Weiss' struggle with the other SOLDIER. He watched it all transpire with wide eyes, more focused on Weiss than anything else.

Weiss was shoved to his knees in his moment of distraction. He let out a curse as the hard metal scraped against his skin. He wanted to jerk his wrists away from the SOLDIER's steely hold, but inwardly remembered the last time he'd been apprehended and had his arm broken in the struggle.

Instead, he twisted around to try discerning the identity of his captor. He recognized the blue green eyes of the _monster _who was given all the chances he was denied instantly. _No…they wouldn't…! Why would they…humiliate me on top of capture me?_ He inhaled sharply as newfound rage clouded the last of his judgment.

"Monster!" he howled, trying to jerk his arms out of the demon's grip. The grip on his left arm loosed to prevent its breaking as he rebelled. Only one word transcended his mind as he realized the small act of mercy; _**fool.**_

__"They had no reason to do this!" Weiss yelled hoarsely, as loudly as he could manage. "They didn't have to send _**you!**__"_

He felt the material that covered his knees tear and his skin get scraped against the metal ridges in the floor as he struggled to get to his feet. They were meant to prevent sliding but they only cut into his flesh from being grinded so close together.

He got one foot under himself and felt his ankle sent fiery pain up his leg as he focused his weight on it and tried to escape once again. Just when he was ready to attempt countering his assailant, he froze.

"Brother!" Nero yelled, pushing the hand of the other SOLDIER away. "Just let them have us! You're going to hurt yourself!"

Weiss watched as tears leaked out of his brother's eyes and the SOLDIER gently pulled him away. Weiss' head drooped and he stopped resisting. The SOLDIER…the monster…that had apprehended him pinned his wrists together with one hand as the two infantrymen ran back to where they waited.

He stared at the floor with smoldering rage as the infantryman snapped handcuffs on his wrists. He let himself be hauled to his feet, not bothering to assist. The other infantryman helped Shalua to her feet and ask if she was alright and where her mother was.

_Her mother was right to want her away from us. _Weiss thought, an ironic smirk playing at his lips. _We only brought her trouble._

The infantrymen announced to the passengers that they had reached the market and that they could leave the train. Some left immediately and hurried to the exit, but others tried questioning the infantrymen or SOLDIERs as to what was happened. Their questions were avoided and they were asked to leave.

Weiss watched uninterestedly as the train empted and Angeal Hewley requested their course be changed to the Shin-Ra Building. The infantryman nodded and entered the front room to inform the conductor. Weiss inwardly noticed Nero watching Shalua as she was escorted off by the second infantryman.

They would probably never see her again. Even if they did, she probably wouldn't remember them. Weiss didn't really care, but he figured Nero would remember. He seldom forgot anything. With his memory, it was amazing he wasn't as cynical as his older bother.

The train's engine was never stopped and lurched back into motion shortly thereafter. The infantrymen exited the navigator's front area and locked all the doors. Nero was directed by Angeal to sit. Weiss did the same before he could be instructed, but shot his captor a deathly glare.

"I won't try to escape," he said quietly, but dangerously. "Don't come near me."

Genesis frowned and was about to object but Angeal guided Nero, who had also been handcuffed by the infantrymen at some point, onto the seat beside his brother. They were both silent as the train got up to speed.

Nero looked up to Weiss and forced a slight smile. Weiss didn't bother looking up or returning it. There was nothing worth saying. They'd been detained far faster than Weiss could have imagined; it reflect terribly on his ability to elude Shin-Ra.

Worst of all, what could very well be their quickest capture was at the hands of Hollander's monsters. _This is disgraceful. They don't even know what they are. _Weiss felt a look of disgust overtake his features as he tilted his head slightly. His fists clenched as his glare settled on Genesis Rhapsodos.

_He's a monster! A failure! How could they let someone like him into SOLDIER? I may be classified as a failure too…but they sealed me up in the Shin-Ra Building. Meanwhile, they've let him live like a normal person, completely unaware of what he is! He probably…he probably even thinks he's __**human!**_

--

Final Hikari: -humming pleasantly that the chapter is on time- This is the first Weiss and Nero have popped up since chapter 3! Anybody remember?

Genesis: How could they remember, you never said their names…

Final Hikari: -sweat drop-

Zack: You've been questioned about the Genfantrymen.

Final Hikari: Eh? Oh, them?

Aerith: -nods-

Final Hikari: XD Well, everybody remember when Genesis' copies dressed as infantrymen but in different colors appear in Jonun? I was swearing at them, inwardly thinking they looked like infantrymen, and called them Genfantrymen.

Genesis: …

Final Hikari: Also, I am the original crazy fangirl who thought up to the word 'Genfantrymen.' -pleasant and innocent smile-

Dr. Meh: -groan- I'm related to a fangirl…


	11. Birdcage

Final Hikari: -is chasing Genesis around house in a anime style way- -has been reading too much shojo manga- -waves Santa hat above head- Come on, Genny! I have extra Santa Hats and it'll match your coat! XD

Genesis: -.- Never!

Final Hikari: Awww, why not? I promise not to make you lift heavy old TVs or move my desk around to make for my new Xbox360. XD

Genesis: I'll burn that goddessforsaken hat before I wear it…

Final Hikari: Hhhheeeeyyyy! Take some of Dr. Meh's advice and don't burn cultural or religious symbols! I got in trouble for trying to burn Lu Xun's hat last night!

Genesis: -blank stare- Who's hat?

Final Hikari: Dynasty Warriors character.

Genesis: I thought it was _Japanese_ history, culture, and engineering you were obsessed with…

Final Hikari: Actually, I'm not crazy about Japanese engineering. Toyotas rust terribly on the coast. DX And it is, I've just gotten distracted recently. XD

Genesis: Your fangirl-ish loyalty has taken a serious drop.

Final Hikari: Obviously, since I've neglected you all for months. :D

Genesis: -twitch- Isn't this disclaimer getting too long for the style you were supposedly going to keep for a FFVII fan fiction?

Final Hikari: It is, but it's Chriiiiiissssttttmmmaaassss! Now face your fate and put your Santa hat on! I've been wearing mine periodically for the last month. I stopped doing so in public because creepy old ladies at the grocery store kept fussing over me. XD

Genesis: -snicker- Ah, so you have problems with old women now too. I thought is was just with old men.

Final Hikari: -.- I still have problems with old men. Mainly because one of them won't put a goddamn Santa hat on!

( Disembodied voice: goddessforsaken and goddamn? Is it really Christmas Eve? XD)

Genesis: O.O I am not old!

Final Hikari: -.- Yes, you are! Chinese culture hasn't numbed me enough to think otherwise. -crosses arms-

Dr. Meh: Yet…-evil laugh-

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- Yet. Anyway, nothing Final Fantasy VII or Dynasty Warriors belongs to me! And I hope you enjoy this special, Christmas update. :D Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 10

Birdcage

Director Lazard stood waiting in Shin-Ra's entrance hall for the two young SOLDIER operatives to return. The usual bustle of employees and the occasional civilians filled the large, brightly lit area. It went unnoticed by most, but there were an unusually large amount of members of the Science Department present at the moment.

He had gotten the report from an infantryman stationed on one of Midgar's buses that the targets were on board. Not long after, Angeal Hewley had notified him both subjects had been captured and were being taken back.

It wasn't unusual for trouble to arise whenever Weiss was let out of the Shin-Ra building, even escorted. Lazard wouldn't have had to deal with it if it weren't for SOLDIER's involvement in the mission. Nevertheless, he had done his part in making sure that the foolish scientist who was supposed to be watching them had been fired.

Lazard had frowned upon the order, directly from President Shinra, to ensure Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley were to be sent on the mission. Hojo had laughed at the command and only muttered about monsters hunting monsters.

The doors to the Shin-Ra building slid open for the umpteenth time, and Lazard was pleased to see two children this time, flanked by two Third Class SOLDIERs. Weiss was being guided by Genesis and glared at the Director coldly though Nero didn't seem surprised or upset. If anything, the only emotion that was reflected in his expression was disappointment.

He couldn't help but notice Genesis' slight frown and overall look of disapproval. Both of the young candidates looked slightly out of place in normal clothes rather than SOLDIER uniforms as they entered the building.

"Rhapsodos, Hewley," Lazard began, "You will follow me and return the specimens to the lower levels of the Science Department. We can't get there from the normal elevator, but don't worry about memorizing-"

"We have to take the elevator to the upper Science Department then take their special, separate elevator down, right?" Genesis asked knowingly, derisively.

"Correct," Lazard replied after a moment of disapproving silence. He watched as Angeal cast the other SOLDIER a questioning look. "However, since you currently lack the authority to enter such areas, I must accompany you. Please follow me."

Lazard turned and headed to the elevator without another word. _I knew he'd be troublesome. He'll be a threat to the company if he makes First Class with an attitude like that…I'll just have to be careful to keep him under the company's control. Perhaps Sephiroth can assist._

He heard Nero mutter a question, but it was nearly unintelligible and there was no reply from Weiss. Though Nero was by far the more innocent of the two, he was also the most dangerous. Shin-Ra had always been concerned with the younger 'brother' because of the power he possessed.

He heard Nero mutter a question, but it was nearly unintelligible and there was no reply from Weiss. Though Nero was by far the more innocent of the two, he was also the more dangerous. Shin-Ra had always been concerned with the younger 'brother' because of the power he possessed.

The Director watched as the doors slid shut, a slight feeling of guilt settling over him. He was returning two mere children to a miserable fate within the depths of Shin-Ra's darkest sectors. But the higher-ups knew they would be a risk if they fell into the wrong hands, especially those of the anti-Shinra groups forming at an alarming rate.

The decision to keep the monsters they created within the company, either as tools or prisoners, had been made when organizations like SOLDIER were being formed. Some experiments that retained human appearance had stories to tell, as was the case with Sephiroth and potentially the two young Third Class SOLDIERs in the elevator with him. Others, like Weiss and Nero, were condemned to futures hidden away in Deepground.

_Even if they know true escape is futile, they don't seem to see that slipping away from supervisors will only prevent them from leaving the building at all when they're older. Nero was a successful subject, but Weiss wasn't and he's more than old enough now experimentation again._

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open briskly. The cold white walls and doors of the Science Department were revealed, employees with white lab coats over uniforms or casual clothing passing through the halls. The Director, SOLDIERs, and children looked more than a little out of place as he led them down the hall.

Weiss' expression was dark and unsurprised, openly displeased at having to return to the familiar floor. Though the view through the windows high above Midgar was different from what they'd usually see in Deepground, they had no interest it in.

They continued down the hall, passing by countless scientists as they did. Some carried large containers that resembled animal carriers, only there were no openings in the front and sounds far stranger than growling sounded from within.

Finally, they reached the end of the corridor, where a secretary sat behind a large, polished desk, hands resting on a keyboard. She glanced up at them and smiled brightly, flashing her teeth. "Good afternoon, how may I help you?" she asked in a typical pleasant tone.

"We're here to return Weiss and Nero," Lazard replied flatly. "Does Doctor Hojo have the keycard with access to Deepground?"

The woman's smile slid off her face instantly, but she hitched it back up in a fraction of a second with twice the wattage. "Yes, sir. Please wait a few minutes, I will inform him," she said, and quickly removed herself from behind the desk to walk briskly towards a door, which opened to reveal another hallway. She disappeared behind it, and it glided shut with a hiss that echoed ominously. _As if this place needs any help in further damnation, _Lazard thought sarcastically.

He turned to view his companions. It wasn't a comforting sight. Genesis hung back, wary and sullen. Angeal stood behind Nero and Weiss, with an awkward expression on his face as though he wanted to help but didn't know how. Nero was clutching his older brother's hand as though his life depended on it, looking confused and frightened from the grim expressions surrounding him. Weiss himself looked as though he was either going to kill, or be killed.

_I have no involvement with these two…_ Lazard reminded himself, though the faint guilty feeling remained. _There's no way they'll be permitted into SOLIDER. If I ever see them again because of assignments, it'd be a miracle._

Lazard turned away from his group of young monsters as the door reopened and the woman emerged. This time, it didn't close. She greeted them with another smile. "Doctor Hojo will be happy to escort you the rest of the way," she said, though none of them could really picture Hojo doing _anything _happily. "Could the children's guards proceed as well?"

"Of course," Lazard replied.

"Please follow me," she said and started down the hall once again.

Lazard followed, randomly wondering if Genesis had any memories of Deepground. It was, however, unlikely since the research in mako mine was being closed and Banora Village was nearing completion when Jenova Project G was that far along.

Hojo waited outside the doors to his lab, hunched over slightly. As they got closer they could hear him muttering unintelligible things to himself as he glowered at the floor. His secretary cleared her throat attentively and called his name, trying to draw his attention back to reality from the phantoms in his mind.

He snapped to attention but didn't say a word. He scrutinized the group, his eyes lingering on Genesis and Angeal a moment longer than the others. He smirked slightly before turning his attention back to the woman. "Very well. Return to your post."

"Thank you Doctor Hojo," she said politely and turned to return to her desk. "Good day, Director," she added as an afterthought.

Lazard didn't reply, for Hojo had already turned the corner and was fumbling in his pockets before coming up with a black keycard, which he slid into the slot in the console beside the door. Hojo quickly typed a combination of letters and numbers into the console faster than Lazard's eye could follow, and then retracted the card as the door opened. A second layer of doors opened beyond it, revealing a plain elevator.

No music drifted down from speakers in the ceiling and there weren't any handles or buttons like in the rest of the buildings' elevators. Hojo stepped in and waited for the others to enter the unusual elevator. Lazard, having only made the trip to Deepground a few times, had forgotten how large the compartment was. It could comfortably fit twenty people. The doors closed and the elevator moved downward.

It went noticeably faster than the building's other elevators, the speed almost disorienting. Hojo didn't mutter to himself, causing the silence to prolong the trip down. They had to go all the way back to the ground floor and deeper before they'd reach Deepground. Though it was slightly senseless to have to go all the way to the top of the building to reach Shin-Ra's dark bowels, only a portion of the underground network was planned. Much of it existed within the plate or in the massive main support below the Shin-Ra Building.

Though Lazard was certain that all of the occupants of the elevator, spare Angeal, were familiar with the Science Department, he was sure by their wary expressions that the two young SOLDIERs weren't familiar with the hidden expedition to the mysterious division of Shin-Ra.

The agonizing wait stretched on for several minutes before they reached their destination. The elevator doors separated to reveal a hall similar to the ones above, but with subtle differences that made it rather uninviting.

There were no bright overhead lights to illuminate the walkway. Dark blue lights built into the wall one inch from the floor lit the way, and lights above the many doors provided the rest of lighting. The blue lights were unusually bright and would have been blinding if it weren't for the dark shadows. Most of the other lights glowed a dark red color, as did the small screens beside the keycard slots, but there was one at the end of the hall that was green.

Hojo, however, did not lead them to that door. They went down a corridor that branched off the main hall, then into a stairwell. After going down roughly three floors and passing unlocked doors to each level, they stopped at the only locked door. The silent Hojo slid a second key card into it. The door opened and he stepped back, motioning for Lazard and his crew to go into the dark room alone.

"Thank you, Doctor," the Director said politely, though there was nothing good enough about the situation to require gratitude.

Nevertheless, Hojo nodded and closed the door behind them as soon as they all entered. The lights switched on, revealing the room to be an office. The brightness of the traditional ceiling lighting was abrupt enough of a contrast to make the Director wince momentarily.

Seated behind the desk was a man in a white lab coat, expression clearly displeased. His sunken features and dark eyes gave him an appearance as foreboding as that of Hojo. A woman in similar attire wore a nametag that caught Nero's eye. Lazard noticed the sudden stare and glanced at the tag, but it glinted in the artificial light, making it illegible.

The man stood up, his glare settling on Weiss. The boy returned the angry gaze defiantly, never breaking eye contact until the scientist turned to the woman. "Rui, take Nero back to his room," he muttered and rounded the desk.

She nodded and walked over quickly, taking Nero's hand and guiding him toward a door on the right. He cast his big brother an alarmed look, opening his mouth to object, but Weiss simply shook his head in reply. Nero's shoulders fell as the automatic doors opened then closed.

The man walked past Weiss and extended a hand to Lazard in a business-like manner. "We appreciate your assistance and consistency in retrieval missions. We intend to have them guided by Restrictors when they are permitted off Shin-Ra premises, so if all goes as planned, we shouldn't have to bother you as often."

Lazard shook the other man's hand and nodded. "It isn't a problem."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kleidion Rui's expression was impassive as she led the young experiment down the hall, though she was slightly ill at ease because of his stare. The dark color of his irises held an unnatural shade of red and seemed to emit a slight glow like the mako blue of a SOLDIER's eyes. Despite being a child, the unpleasant sight was everything but comforting. However, the sick feeling she was unable to dismiss was coming from more than just the escape and capture of the two prototypes.

He kept up easily and without objection with her brisk walk as she lead him down the halls where his normal supervisor was waiting near the boy's room. The proper title of the group that took care of the other children in the project Weiss and Nero were part of was 'Restrictor.' She'd only met one of the Restrictors, a woman who always escorted the escapees back to their rooms or whatever punishment they might face. Despite being near the project, Kleidion wasn't informed of everything that transpired in Deepground.

After a few more moments of walking, they turned the corner and reached the elevator where the Restrictor waited. As far as Kleidion knew, the woman that stood before her was the only Restrictor that frequently revealed herself to other Shin-Ra employees. Her expression was emotionless and her attire consisted of a simple lab coat over a plain black uniform.

"Good afternoon," Kleidion greeted politely, "I've brought Nero back."

The other woman nodded. "Thank you," she said flatly as she took the boy's hand. "You may return to your normal duties."

Kleidion nodded as the Restrictor turned on her heel and entered the elevator without so little as a goodbye. _That's…odd…_she thought as the cold metal doors closed. She frowned and started back in the direction she came from when her cell phone rang. She didn't slow her stride as she pulled it from her pocket, though her expression grew darker when she saw it was from one of the secretaries at Shin-Ra's main entrance.

"Hello?" she asked warily, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Kleidion Rui?"

"Yes, this is she…," she trailed off, listening intently to what the secretary said.

"We received a call that your daughter was on a train that was intercepted by a SOLDIER mission. There are infantrymen present who are currently securing the area. She's waiting at the station by the main market below the plate. Could you please go pick her up?"

"Is she alright?" Kleidion stammered, the color draining from her face.

"I apologize, but I don't have that information. The report doesn't contain anything about her needing to be taken to a medical facility, just that she needs to be retrieved. Would you like the address, Mrs. Rui?" she questioned politely.

"No, I know where it is. Thank you," she said, hardly hearing the reply as she hurried to report back to her supervisor to explain why she couldn't stay any longer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What did you think running was going to accomplish?" the man asked harshly as he approached Weiss. "Looking at the amount of times you've tried to escape, there's little reason in letting you leave the building now."

Lazard watched warily, waiting to interject and dismiss himself and the two SOLDIERs before either the scientist or Weiss himself revealed information that wasn't necessary for Genesis or Angeal to hear.

"So keep me locked up in here forever, I don't care," Weiss retaliated. "You only let your favorite monsters out to play after all. Seems they're no better selections than me if they're stupid enough to come back of their own free will."

"And who might you be referring to?" the scientist demanded coldly.

"Excuse me," Lazard interrupted abruptly, ignoring any thoughts of courtesy. "Is there anything else you need, or can these cadets return to their duties?"

"You may go," he replied, never taking his glare off of Weiss.

Lazard turned to the door, followed reluctantly by Genesis and Angeal. As soon as the automatic doors slid open and they were back in the hall, a painful slap echoed from behind them, followed by a thud that made Lazard wince.

"You will be punished this time. You have everything you could ever need here and yet you always flee," the man said cruelly. "Are you truly arrogant enough to believe they'll risk letting you run free like that?"

Genesis stopped and turned, trying to see what had happened, but Lazard placed a firm hand on the youth's shoulder and pushed him forward through the door. "What happens in Deepground has nothing to do with SOLDIER."

Hojo glanced past them and gave a manic cackle when he saw Weiss thrown to the floor, placing his bony, wrinkled hand on the side of the automatic door to prevent it from closing. Lazard winced again, silently wondering how so many of Shin-Ra's employees remained with clean bills of mental health.

A pregnant pause hung over them until Weiss finally acknowledged his sentence. "Fine. But a comfortable cage is still a cage."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A woman wearing a neat Shin-Ra secretary's uniform and a worried expression hurried up the stairs and pushed through the dense crowd that had formed. Less than half the people on the platform looked to be passengers; the rest were all spectators, curious to see what had gone so wrong that SOLDIER had to be sent.

Most of them, however, were disappointed, unable to find reliable information. Some people said Shin-Ra had sent SOLDIERs and infantrymen on the train to remove two mere children. Others who had also allegedly been on the train had rather extravagant stories to tell that included much action, heroism, and good looking guys with swords and guns.

Nevertheless, she was focused on scanning the crowd for her daughter. The unexpected call regarding the unpleasant scenario her daughter had gotten wrapped up into.

She muttered apologizes as she struggled toward the entrance of the train, where several infantrymen and two SOLDIERs were gathered. "Excuse me," she said loudly when she spotted two people in military uniform who stood off to the side, one looking rather displeased that he'd ended up having to carry a little girl. She stopped at the taped off area around the entrance, breathless, before calling out to the child.

The girl looked up when she heard her name called and smiled. She fidgeted in the infantryman's arms, who swore quietly but still managed to put her down gently instead of letting her hop away.

"Mommy!" she said suddenly, ducking under the tape without a thought. She reached up and placed her hand in her mother's, eyes expectant. "Can we go home? School must've started two hours ago…"

The woman was surprised by her daughter's calm demeanor. She'd expected some form of fear or alarm after being in such dangerous and unusual conditions, but there was no sign of discontent in Shalua's expression.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lazard entered his office and sank into his chair, expression radiating dissatisfaction. Pushing himself back from the desk, he allowed the chair to spin in lazy circles as he stared off into nowhere, thinking. If a comfortable cage was still a cage, what did that make Shin-Ra? What did that make him? The cage, or the caged?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: O.O "a pregnant pause"? Meh, I'm going to kill you. -.- I haaaatteeee that expression.

Dr. Meh: Pervert. You really should take my advice about reading the dictionary, you wouldn't have had gotten

Final Hikari: -.- I have a dictionary on my PC! And I've had shojo manga to fall asleep to the last few nights. -turns to readers- I apologize for the short update and crappy end to it. O.O It's been too long since I gave ATLB any love and this chapter got composition and editing delays. -sweat drop- I panicked around Halloween because I had all kinds of stuff to finish before the 31st then family matters, on all sides, got hectic. Pending divorce, two potential deaths, (one that I suspect just happened this morning DX) and traveling to dangerous foreign countries have been going around me, thus keeping me unfocused. School has been stealing my time, too. -.-

Genesis: -stares- That's quite a rant.

Final Hikari: Oh, and I was sick for two weeks. XD

Genesis: In other words, you're making excuses.

Final Hikari: -.- Shut up. -turns back to readers- Anyway, Chapter 11, "Blue Like The Sky We Parted Under," is five pages and should be up a lot sooner than this one was! :D I started 11 because Dr. Meh was supposed to co-author chapter 10, but that didn't work out, (I didn't realize my imagination conspires facts and details that sprout off a simple event simply cannot be put into words or make any degree of sense unless I write them myself until now -sweat drop- ) so I ended up with a few really good paragraphs from the Doctor, but I was blasted away when I realized I still had a crap load of stuff to write that I really didn't want to write. XD

Genesis: Your imagination does _what_? That run-on rant didn't make one ounce of sense…

Final Hikari: Precisely.

Genesis: Eh?

Final Hikari: Exactly. -turns to readers again- Finally, I would like to say that Kleidion Rui isn't an original character. Little to nothing is said about Shelke and Shalua's mother, nor is her first name revealed, but I do know she's long dead by Dirge of Cerberus. I have a vague plan for her fate but if anyone has any other information on her, I'm all ears. Final Hikari over and out!

Genesis: -.- What about me?

Final Hikari: -epitome of innocence- Of course you come too, Genny. :D If you're good you can touch my fancy new DualShock 3 PS3 controller. :D It's far superior to the SixAxis! Or at least I hope it will be…XD -clears throat- Now, come!

Genesis: -edges away-

_Roughly ten minutes later…_

Final Hikari: -is spacing the chapter- O.O "Hot guys with swords and guns"? MEHRINA!


	12. Blue Like The Sky We Parted Under

Final Hikari: T.T The new PrintShop installed so many fonts, I find it difficult to find Arial now. -faint-

Genesis: …Then why didn't you just skip that part?

Final Hikari: XD Because some of the fonts they give me are so pretty! Haven't you ever noticed how epic your name looks in Chaucer? -fangirl sigh-

Genesis: …No…

Final Hikari: Ah well. Not much to say in this disclaimer…I am glad this chapter doesn't have the unfathomed huge hiatus-level delay like the last one did. And it's a normal length. But as far as personal stuff goes, I'm quite numb feeling. DX Genny, can I have a hug?

Genesis: -.- Here we go with the hugs again…

Final Hikari: I'll pluck a feather out of your wing next time your unfurl it if you don't.

Zack: But an infinite amount of them fall and flutter about for no reason…it's a miracle that wing isn't balding!

Genesis: O.O Don't say that word in my presence again.

Final Hikari: XD I don't own anything Final Fantasy VII. But I do own the accusation Genesis' wing could be balding. -evil cackle-

Genesis: -twitch- I just told you not to say it!

Zack: -whisper- I think he, Sephiroth, and Angeal are keeping something from us about those endless feathers…

Final Hikari: -whispers back- You may be right…I mean, just think of how many feathers Seph loses when you fight him in Kingdom Hearts…every time he zips around the field there seem to be five or more falling…let's count sometime. XD

Genesis: What are you two whispering about?!

Final Hikari & Zack: -innocent looks- Nothing.

Genesis: -.-

Final Hikari: But right now I have to go make Christmas cookies and pray this chapter is up during Christmas vacation. :D

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 11

Blue Like The Sky We Parted Under

Sekai Kurayami blinked blearily, the familiar melody of her cell phone's ringtone stirring her from her sleep. Her vision clarified and she found herself staring at the blinking power light of her laptop. She sat up and rubbed her forehead, inwardly thinking she must've fallen asleep at her computer again. And the damned history essay _still_ wasn't complete.

_What day is it…?_ She wondered tiredly, casting the raw sunlight streaming through her window a wary look as she tapped the touchpad of her computer twice. The rest of the lights came on and the screen lit up, revealing the date as, thankfully, Saturday morning. She reached over for her cell phone after affirming that she didn't have to worry about rushing to school with a report damp with ink and glanced at the screen.

She stared at the name for a moment, trying to match random names to the random faces of other students. She flipped the phone open and answered uninterestedly. "Hello?"

"Sekai!" the teenage girl on the other end said excitedly. "Did you see the cover of the paper?"

"No, I've told you we don't get the paper…," Sekai sighed, standing up and sliding the chair of her desk in. _Even though we do get it on Sundays, I don't have to tell her how Grandma confiscates it to look for pictures of hot guys and Sephiroth for a few hours before I find it discarded in some random place with all kinds of holes… _"Are you using this is a distraction before you drill me for information on homework?"

"Awww. You don't have any trust in me."

"I wonder why…," Sekai grumbled with a yawn that covered the conviction in her voice.

"Anyway, go to the newsstand and buy one! You've got to read the story! And see the picture…someone's done a _lot _of growing up."

"What are you talking about?" Sekai asked, running her fingers through her hair once before reaching for her brush. It was still slightly damp from when she'd showered around two AM. She wasn't entirely sure when her sleeping habits had taken such a drastic drop on a bad direction. Entering high school a year early probably had something to do with it.

"Go get a paper and find out, you've got to see for yourself. I won't divulge any more information."

"Then I won't divulge anymore information about the math homework due on Monday," Sekai said, repeating her acquaintance sourly.

The other girl swore quietly. "Fine. Since we're back to this lack of trust, I'll inform you that Genesis is on the cover."

Sekai blinked. "Huh?"

"Now go look! It'll take longer for me to read it to you than it'd take for you to walk to the newsstand."

"Right. Talk to you later."

"You _are _going, right?" the older girl demanded, refusing to hang up immediately.

"Yes, I'm going. How much are papers nowadays though?"

"You don't even know how much a newspaper costs?" she groaned in dismay. "Three or four gil should get you far enough."

"Right. Thanks. But are you sure those didn't go up over the summer for the tourists?"

"_Sekai!_"

"Sorry," she said, pulling her shoes on and reaching for her wallet. "See you Monday."

"I'm meeting you at the newsstand, don't be silly!"

_Oy, why must I associate with other students…?_ Sekai thought as she bid the other girl goodbye and turned her computer off. She pulled a pair of shoes on as she closed her door silently and walked down the hall slowly so her shoes didn't make a sound against the polished wooden floor. _Grandma is still sleeping. I'll probably be back before she wakes up. I don't need to be interrogated about Genesis…again…_

Grabbing the single key that hung beside her grandmother's car keys beside the front door, she left the house and closed the door as quietly as she could. Once she was out, she hurried through the yard and then onto the dirt road.

The trip up her street and around the corner didn't take long, despite the hill's incline. The newsstand was on the edge of where the business area began. She rounded a second corner at a run and was surprised to see that Genesis had indeed made the front page of Banora's local newspaper.

She smirked slightly. _The last thing he needs is more ego, but what the hell, _she thought as she pulled her cell phone out and took a picture of the piles of newspapers, his picture on the uppermost one easily seen. She saved it to the phone's memory, then sent it promptly to his own cell phone.

Once the message finished sending, she flipped her phone closed and returned it to her pocket. She picked one of the papers off the top of the stack and gave the vendor the required gil. She stepped away from the front of the stand to start reading, the headline catching her attention first.

_**Genesis Rhapsodos of Banora Village, Second Class SOLDIER**_

__Her gaze then dropped to the large color picture of Genesis. It was only taken from his shoulders up, but she inwardly noticed the color of his uniform was now that of Second Class. It was a rather unpleasant shade of purple, hardly an improvement from the light blue of Third Class. _...I don't want to know how I remembered that. _Sekai thought absentmindedly. _He must have told me when rattling off information about SOLDIER before he left…_

_I can't believe it's already been two whole years…he's grown a lot. He's probably a lot taller, too. But there's something else…he doesn't just look older, he looks different. Almost as though something's amiss…_

She was about to start reading the story when she realized the unnatural change. She stared at the picture a moment, a pang of pain filling her heart. _His eyes…they're so blue…but that can't be right. He made Second Class, not First! How could they have given him mako injections so soon…? _

_That…isn't normal. They couldn't have changed company policy that abruptly without some information getting leaked to the public. Did he knowingly get them? Could he have been lied to? If so…did he just not notice…?_

The change in his eye color wasn't complete, but it was drastic enough to be noticeable even in a low-quality print. The edges of his iris were a bright, clear mako blue though the original vibrant, almost emerald green was still present around the dark pupils of his eyes._ Why does the mako have to make their eyes such a cold, heartless blue? At this rate, by the time he makes First Class, his eyes will look as empty as Sephiroth's…_

_-_

**Eighteen-year-old Genesis Rhapsodos, son of Banora's landlord, Kratos Rhapsodos, left his hometown with a close friend two years ago to join the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company's most elite group of guardians, SOLDIER.**

**Ranks in SOLDIER are always sought earnestly and are awarded occasionally only to the truly deserving members of the group. It isn't uncommon for a SOLDIER operative to have to served the company for five or more years before earning a promotion to a higher Class. SOLDIER is widely regarded as the best of Shin-Ra and continues to maintain that standard.**

**After a mere two years in the organization and countless missions in SOLDIER's lowest class, Third, Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley were promoted to Second by recommendation of First Class, Sephiroth. Genesis made the rank for showing remarkable skill in tense combat situations and maintaining a calm, authoritative figure in one of Wutai's attempts to overtake the slums below Midgar.**

**War was declared against Wutai nearly three years ago when Genesis was fifteen. Shortly thereafter, attention was drawn to the now legendary Sephiroth who is said to be Genesis' inspiration for joining Shin-Ra and working for the good of our world.**

**-**

Sekai paused to reread the preceding paragraph with a slight frown. _'Calm, authoritative figure…?' Is that some sort of error? Angeal could probably fit that, but Genesis? Yeah, right…I don't think even the strict officials of SOLDIER could manage that._

**-**

**Since he became a SOLDIER, the intensity of the war with Wutai has only increased. The severity of attacks from the foreign country up and down out coasts has increased, creating the surprisingly pressing need for SOLDIERs on our land. Until recently, Banora's two young SOLDIERs have remained within the country attending to these missions.**

**The rising amount of attacks keeps the army, SOLDIER, and even the Turks traveling regularly to maintain proper security and protection of our civilians. Costal towns have been put under martial command due to the risk. Though many mayors and citizens have objected to the strict precautions, it's necessary for the safety.**

**In addition to being the first SOLDIERs to come from Banora and graduate to Second Class, they well also may be sent to the frontlines of the combat in Wutai alongside Sephiroth and several other First Class SOLDIERs this November.**

**-**

Though the article continued on the following page, Sekai felt the paper slip out of her fingers. It landed on the dirt road with a soft thud and kicked up a small cloud of dirt. A group of Banora's citizens was starting to crowd around the newsstand, showing an unusual amount of interest in that day's paper. There was rarely anything new regarding Banora in the paper unless it had to do with dumbapples.

A wave of sickness and worry washed over her as her mind began to spin in countless different directions. She wondered what the date was; it was usually an insignificant fact that just marked another uneventful week, but she suddenly felt an impermissible dread at the thought of how few days remained before he was put in more peril on a daily basis.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Genesis Rhapsodos muttered a curse under his breath as he attempted to lodge the manual screwdriver into the notch of the old, rusted screw. He could see why Shin-Ra wanted to reopen and repair one of their bases in the regions around Modeoheim, but did they _have_ to pick one without a functioning heating system? Or more accurately, couldn't they have picked someone else with a basic knowledge of machinery to crawl under the massive heating unit and repair it?

He squinted at what was left of the screw, trying to discern if he was using the proper screwdriver. It didn't seem to be the same size or model as the new, stainless steel screws provided. Potentially the worst part, all the tools were at the base and carried the unpleasant smell of rust and cow crap.

He was momentarily distracted from holding his breath when he thought he heard a muffled beep from underneath the ledge the circuit board and tank were located on, but wasn't positive.

"Hey, Genesis, you got a message," Angeal called out from below.

Genesis swore a second time and knelt down to slide beneath the large metal tank. He poked his head out on the other side and reached over the ledge. "Hand it over, along with a wrench…or some materia, I'd rather melt it…"

"…I don't want to know…," Angeal remarked dryly, handing his childhood friend the phone and requested tool. "But I don't think using any type of fire materia in such a confined space is a good idea. You're trying to make it function, remember?"

"I was being sarcastic," Genesis said as he flipped the phone open. He winced as he accessed his thoroughly flooded inbox, spammed with Shin-Ra notifications regarding the most mundane events, advertisements, and random things from his parents. The name of the sender of the most recent one caught him by surprise. _Sekai? She hasn't contacted me in months…_

He opened it and started the download of the attachment while reading the message. His eyes settled on the single line of text, leaving him with a slight frown of disappointment.

_Though your ego is already too inflated and needs no expansion, I figured you'd get wind of this one way or another… :p_

The file finished saving and the image popped up instantly. "Holy shit!" Genesis exclaimed, rolling over under the tank and waving the phone excited. "Angeal, look! You won't believe it!"

"It's difficult to see when you're whipping it around," Angeal said calmly while taking the phone from his childhood friend. He chuckled as he saw the picture of Banora's newspaper's front cover and handed the phone back.

"I'm on the front page! Oh yeah, that is _totally_ a SOLDIER career milestone! There was hardly anything else on the cover, too!" he ranted brightly while calling Sekai's number. He rang a few minutes and he wondered if she was going to pick up, inwardly wondering what the time difference was.

At the fifth ring, she picked up. "H-hello?" she stammered, sounding preoccupied.

"That is _epic!_ You gotta save that paper, I have bragging rights for months with that!" he said, hardly noticing the unusual way she answered the phone.

Sekai laughed, her tone still slightly distant. "I bet any other SOLDIERs from as small a town as you two would also gets some news time back home."

"Yeah, but on the cover? Today in Banora, tomorrow in Midgar!"

"I take it you want me to get you a few copies?"

"Definitely! But I'll pay for them. Do they take credit cards? If so, buy twenty! I'll tell my parents to get more…they usually have the paper delivered, but they're unreliable…and have terrible short-term memory…"

"Do you really think he takes credit cards? It's the same old man running the newsstand from when we were little…," Sekai said skeptically.

"Everyone takes credit. I'll read you the number."

"Alright, just a sec…," she replied, sounding bemused.

"Angeal, hand me my wallet!" Genesis called, waving his hand over the ledge while listening to the muffled conversation between Sekai and the old man selling the papers. "And a bigger wrench! Preferably one that doesn't smell like cow crap, like the rest of them seem to… But the wallet is more important!"

Angeal shook his head as he retrieved Genesis' wallet from beneath the tool box. "What credit card do you want?"

"So you were eavesdropping!" Genesis said jokingly.

Angeal rolled his eyes in response. "Your call is on speaker."

"The Zarathustra Mutual card will be fine," Genesis replied, deciding not to argue the speaker was pre-set to go on.

"Genesis?" Sekai questioned as the brought the phone back to her ear. "Still there?"

"You bet! Ready to take the number?"

"Sure, he's going to type it in. You want twenty, right?"

"I want as many as he'll sell! How many are in a bundle? Next thought, just get twenty." He waited until Sekai gave him the okay, and read the numbers off four at a time.

Angeal cast his friend a skeptical look. "Don't you worry about identity theft using credit cards like that?"

"Eh, Shin-Ra would deal with it for me," Genesis replied casually as he heard the sound of a squeaky old cash register printing a receipt.

"I suppose I ought to store these in my closet, eh? Or do you trust your parents with them?"

"Well, I was forced to trust them with my library…but your closet is probably safer than the harsh, unprotect environment my books are in."

Sekai laughed at the comment, though a silence ensured. "So…," she trailed off, sounding slightly hesitant. "You're being sent to Wutai, huh?"

He heard the worried apprehension in her voice and frowned slightly. "Yeah, but it's nothing to worry about! It's a really great opportunity, actually. I'll be fighting on the front lines with real heroes like Sephiroth. If I work hard enough, I could get promoted to First Class a lot quicker than it took to make Second!"

"Is Class really _that_ big of a deal?" she questioned, though her tone was still subdued.

"Well, duh, Class is what makes SOLDIER _go_."

"Oy, so everyone else is as obsessed with it as you are?" she inquired jokingly. "I don't think I want to meet many SOLDIERs…"

"Very funny. But anyway, I might be coming to Banora for a while before going to Wutai. There have been signs of Wutai spies in Sydon, which isn't too far away. They're gone to _have_ to let us leave the winter tundra soon…"

"You're still around Modeoheim, huh?"

"Regrettably, yes. I'm getting to know the area _way _too well."

"You'll probably be glad about that someday. The knowledge might come in handy if you ever return off duty."

"If I ever come to this arctic hellhole of my own free will, hit me with something. I wouldn't be in my right mind."

"I should record that," Sekai replied sweetly, "otherwise you'll forget. Anyway, when will you be coming home?"

"Probably around the twelfth, since I leave for Wutai on the twentieth…"

"That's…really soon, isn't it?"

"Not really," he said.

"I see…," she replied forlornly.

Before he had the chance to reply, the sound of an old automatic door squeaking open loudly on the other side of the cavernous room echoed followed by the heavy footfalls of the First Class SOLDIER that had been sent to oversee all operations in the icy base.

"Hey, Genesis, get off the phone!" Angeal said quietly. "The supervisor is here!"

Genesis swore under his breath.

"Is something wrong?" Sekai asked suddenly.

"I have to go, I'll try emailing you later, okay?"

"Sure…"

"Great. See you in a few weeks! And thanks for the papers."

"See you then," she replied, her words cut off as he flipped the phone closed abruptly and shoved it back into his pocket as the SOLDIER approached.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"November twentieth…," Sekai groaned as she closed the gate to their yard behind her. She hadn't bothered waiting for her classmate; she felt like socializing even less than usual after hearing _that._

_Twenty…what a terrible number…_ She carried the stack of papers under her left arm and patted her pockets, cursing aloud when she realized she didn't have her key. She'd only gotten her wallet out once, how had she managed _that_?

Luckily, or so she though, her grandmother opened the door before she had to start poking around in the bushes for the spare key. Regrettably, the unavoidable interrogation from her grandmother began immediately.

"Where in _seven hells_ were you at this early in the morning?" her grandmother shot off without preamble.

"I just went to go get some newspapers," Sekai answered shortly. She didn't feel like talking much right now, but her grandmother characteristically refused to take the hint and rambled on.

"Newspapers?" she snorted incredulously. "The only reason any girl would go running out the doors before the crack of dawn is a guy. Is he cute?" she added mischievously. Sekai rolled her eyes in response, earning an annoyed 'humph' from her grandmother.

"Girls these days," her grandmother grumbled. "Absolutely _no _ambitions left. Give me one of those papers," she commanded.

Sekai handed her the topmost paper wordlessly and proceeded to dump the rest of the stack onto the kitchen table. She turned to the cabinets with breakfast in mind, and was in the middle of pouring milk into a bowl of cereal when her grandmother gave a sudden shout of triumph, causing Sekai to drop the milk bottle from surprise. The bottle landed painfully on her foot, then bounced away, splashing milk across the floor.

Sekai turned angrily towards her grandmother, ready to make _her_ clean up the mess, and found her brandishing the newspaper with a look on her face that would have done a bloodhound proud. It made her look like she'd just smelled out the prey of her dreams. Sekai was instantly on guard.

"What?" she asked warily.

"So it _was_ because of a guy!" her grandmother exclaimed.

Sekai's mouth dropped open, staring from the old woman to the picture of Genesis on the newspaper. She closed her mouth, then her eyes. She kept them closed for a while, but her grandmother apparently knew what she was doing.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, sugar!" Sekai's eyes popped open again just in time to watch her grandmother z-snap at her, all in a huff.

_Did she just z-nap me? _Sekai thought, speechless. _Who _is _this woman?! How am I related to her?!_

The older woman, ignoring the look of disbelief from her granddaughter, was busy studying the picture of Genesis. "So he is cute, then," she said with a wink and a smirk. "If I were fifty years younger, I'd have beaten you to that newspaper stand."

"That's it!" Sekai exclaimed, thoroughly fed up with her grandmother's perverted comments. "You evil woman! You…" she struggled for a moment to think of the right word. "You _debauchee!_" she hissed. _Hey, that was pretty good_, she thought. _Genesis would be proud. _She smiled unwittingly for a moment, a smile that her grandmother was quick to catch.

"Thinking of how proud your lover would be?" she asked with a smirk.

Sekai sighed and pointed at the door. "Out. Now."

Her grandmother snickered as she moved obediently towards the door, but then stopped. "So, that boy's family is rich, right?" she asked casually.

Sekai frowned. "I guess so… Why do you ask?" she demanded, a bit defensively.

Her grandmother's grin widened. "So… would you say that _Genesis_ is rich?"

Sekai's temper was dangerously close to breaking point. "Yeah, he's practically swimming in money," she snapped, turning around to snatch a towel, intent on cleaning up the milk.

Her grandmother laughed. "Oh, honey, it's not _money_ I'm talking about."

"Then what are you-" Sekai paused. She blanched when she figured it out, and her grandmother cackled and disappeared from the kitchen doorway.

"You sick woman," Sekai muttered with a small smile, and dropped the towel into the milk. Although she was still smarting from the bitterness she had felt towards Genesis (and from her grandmother's abuse), there was no denying that her grandmother had at least made her feel a little bit better with her shenanigans.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: -collapses- Operation 1,000 Christmas Cookies was a success! (and the chapter didn't get up over Christmas Vacation XD)

Genesis: I thought it was 1,500 Christmas Cookies…

Zack: It was supposed to be 1,000, but then when the rest of the disclaimer cast found out, there was a Christmas Eve Crisis.

Final Hikari: Yes, Crisis Core sized crisis. -plaintive glare at Zack- And then there were those Emergency Muffins I had to make on the day before we went to my grandparents because my double chocolate drops crapped every time I tried baking them. DX

Genesis: -wry look- How so did they 'crap?'

Final Hikari: Well, I think because I made them while my parents were arguing, they lacked love.

Genesis: -blank stare- Riiiiight…

Final Hikari: -pokes- Love is an important ingredient! It's why my mother's cooking sucks. XD

Cloud: No, that's because her mother could burn popcorn.

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- I ate the ice cream when grandma offered food, not the popcorn. Ima, time to survey my spacing and read the ending scene my wonderful editor, Dr. Meh, was kind enough to contribute!

_Roughly five minutes later…_

Final Hikari: -deep frown- What the hell's a z-snap?!

Dr. Meh: XD XD XD A z-snap? Ever seen a teen movie?

Final Hikari: Uhhhh…XD

Dr. Meh: Hmm…well, basically, it's a Valley Girl sort of thing. The girl puts one hand on her hop, looking all mean and intimidating. And with the other hand, makes three snaps shaped like a Z.

Final Hikari: -blank stare- Right. I'm taking it out.

Dr. Meh: Nooooooo! Don't take it out! -protects document-

Final Hikari: -.- I want it out!

Genesis: -watches, mildly amused- Who do you think will win?

Zack: Well, since the readers obviously already know, the Doctor always wins. _Always._

Final Hikari: -was still reading as bickering continued- -momentarily distracted- -anime crash- Koibito? DX MEHRINA! -shakes fist- You know my bad history with that word!!!

Dr. Meh: -epitome of innocence-

Final Hikari: -.- You know, I'm starting to wonder how much of your own traits Sekai's granny has inherited. And I expect a reply in your next review! XD


	13. An Unmoving Hand of Time

Final Hikari: Okay! I have an explanation to made from the last chapter! It's sort of a cameo, actually…

Genesis: -stare- A cameo?

Final Hikari: Yep! If anyone remembered, the tools poor Genesis were forced to use carried the unpleasant odors of rust and cow crap. XD See, there's actually a lot of odd person history in that chapter. November 20th is the Death Day of my father's sworn father. Among the things my sworn grandfather left to my father, there was a small item with a large stench…a huge tool box with a wide, useful inventory of tools that has the permanent stench of cow crap. XD The box seems like it. The tools smell like it. They've had more baths in bleach and other disinfectants than we can count and they still smell like cow crap.

Genesis: Hey, you're sending me to Wutai on someone's death day?!

Final Hikari: -innocent look- -turns back to readers- We kinda gave up on purifying this box and the tools inside and use it as a burglary-prevention item. We even put one of the wrenches through the dishwasher and it _still _stank. XD But I decided to give it a special place in the hearts of my readers. XD Keep and eye out for those cow crap scented tools, it isn't the first time they'll be popping up and annoying Genny and other characters!

Genesis: -face palm- Your getting sadistic like your sister toward me! And why would you pick something _so random _to rant about?

Final Hikari: XD I am a sadist. But I don't let it affect your personality, so I think I'm still nicer.

Genesis: -wry look- I'm not so sur---

Final Hikari: Don't say it! She'll want me to kill you off somewhere along the lines if you do. XD Or worse…

Genesis: What's worse than that?!

Final Hikari: XD You don't want to know. Really. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to do to you what she threatens to do to your Japanese voice actor.

Genesis: -stare- And exactly what _does_ she threaten to do?

Final Hikari: Oh, look, a flying chapter title!

Genesis: Eh? Ack!

**All That's Left---**

Final Hikari: -ducks- I warned you! And hats off to Dr. Meh for writing most of this chapter! :D It's great to have a co-author!

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 12

An Unmoving Hand of Time

The last of the stars had disappeared by the time the sun started to peek over the horizon and shine over the sleepy village of Banora. Stores and schools would soon be opening in the town. It was also growing brighter in the rocky cove on the southernmost corner of Banora's expansive beaches.

A commander, five trained assassins, and several boatfuls of soldiers all dressed in the colors of Wutai's army were gathering in the secluded area. The soldiers were preparing their gear and weaponry while others hid or destroyed their vessels as more arrived.

Away from the infantry's rabble, the assassins knelt down before their commander in the rocky corner of the cove to receive their orders. They were a young, powerful group ranking second only to the Crescent Unit. Three were men, the other two women.

"Our objective is in Shin-Ra's old mine," the old general explained, expression determined. "The villagers leave it completely unguarded. The town's only ever-present defense is a group of ten police officers. By nightfall, two Second Class SOLDIERs will have arrived in the town. One is the landlord's son, Genesis Rhapsodos. The second is the son of a normal resident, named Angeal Hewley. We have twelve men to kill by midnight. Understood?"

"Understood," the assassins chorused immediately.

"The SOLDIERs must be taken care of first. Your combat experience far outscores theirs. Ishida will be sent to take care of Rhapsodos and Jurou for Hewley. Takana will be in charge of eradicating their miniscule police force. Arakawa and Chinatsu will lead the mission into the mine. You are all to have your missions complete by midnight when the soldiers are deployed to seize control of the town. The landlord and his wife are to be taken as hostages and not killed. Any questions?"

"Sir, will maps be provided to pinpoint the specific location of the law enforcement's headquarters?" Takana asked calmly, her expression equally impassive.

"Maps will only be provided to show the entrance of the mine and Angeal Hewley's home. If you wish to explore and develop an entrance plan, do it out of uniform and as subtly as possible. Do not interact with any of the villagers."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old, rather noisy train, was equally loud on the inside; up and down the aisle, SOLDIERs were talking, eagerly anticipating the chance to visit home. The train they'd boarded was going to the coast, far away from Midgar. Since there wasn't a scheduled train from Banora to Midgar, they'd had to get off the sleek Shin-Ra designed train halfway and board one of the older models that ran in Banora. The history of its service was apparent by the faint smell of dumbapples.

The clamor of various conversations and movements went unnoticed by Genesis Rhapsodos, who had not spoken a word since he'd gotten onto the train and claimed two seats for himself. He was laying down, flat on his back, examining the ceiling with a blank expression. Despite having stared at it for over an hour, he probably wouldn't have remembered one thing about how it looked; his mind was spinning, causing him to think of many things he didn't particularly want to think about.

Angeal, sitting across from Genesis, was reading the latest progress report from the front on Wutai they had been sent to. He had already noticed his friend in this state, but hadn't said anything about it. Genesis had been distant and unfocused since Lazard had informed them they would be permitted to visit Banora for a few days. Angeal was aware of the reasons behind Genesis' reluctance to return home. He was worried of how he would react to seeing Sekai again, and she to him.

_They have grown fairly distant, _Angeal reflected as he stared out the window at the countryside passing by. It wouldn't be too long before the familiar scent of salt filled the air. He suspected Sekai was still angry and disappointed since Genesis had left her behind; in turn, Genesis was angry and confused as to why she was being so difficult. Angeal snorted slightly, turning from the window to face his friend again. _Well, _Angeal thought with dry humor, _that's what Genesis has me for: the figure out what the girl is thinking…_

_…Does that make me less of a man?_

Suddenly, Genesis interrupted the disturbing turn in Angeal's thoughts. "Do you think…" he started, but trailed off, never looking away from the ceiling.

Angeal frowned at him. "Do I think what?"

"Do you think she hates me?" Genesis questioned; there was no doubt which 'she' he was referring to.

"No," Angeal replied calmly, lowering the printed report. "Why?"

"I think she might…or she's just tired of being friends. I mean," Genesis continued, suddenly in a talkative mood, "the only time she called in months was about those newspapers and she seemed a little…I don't know, cold. She didn't bother to ask if I was injured or anything. Not that I mind, but she always would in the past. I know I wasn't able to reply to all her emails and some of the letters she sent were intercepted or destroyed because Shin-Ra couldn't let mail that might reveal locations fall into the hands of spies, but she always sent me things until this year."

"She sent you some things this year, too," Angeal interjected.

"Only a short email every few months. She used to take pictures of the orchards and things around town to show how much things had changed, but she doesn't do anything like that anymore."

"Did you ever think that camera you got her stopped working? It's pretty old now,"

"But it was really expensive and waterproof…" Genesis objected, momentarily distracted.

"Genesis, it's more than seven years old."

Genesis finally tore his gaze from the ceiling and turned to stare at his friend. "It's been _that _long since I got her a camera?"

Angeal nodded, trying not to roll his eyes; Genesis' conception of time had never been very accurate.

"Well, anyway," Genesis said, sitting up, "she sounded kind of bitter when I said I was leaving, too. I know she never approved of me being in SOLDIER, but after all this time, is she still angry? Why?"

Angeal, slightly intrigued of why Genesis hadn't called Sekai by name, considered his argument. "I think," he began carefully, "she still might resent you joining SOLDIER, but not for the reason you think."

Genesis met his statement with a frown and a bewildered expression. "But I don't even know a reason to begin with!" he protested.

Angeal gave up. "Look, why don't you just ask her? We're almost there."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as they arrived in Banora, Genesis opted to skip visiting his parents and go straight for Sekai's house instead. Angeal had frowned in disapproval, though Genesis had just waved him off and told him to go see his mother. Angeal had agreed, though begrudgingly, and decided to come by later. Thus, Genesis walked down the familiar path to the Kurayami house by himself. It was a familiar trip; though he hadn't made it in nearly two years, it was unforgettable.

The stone platform at the train station had looked older and more weathered than ever, and the town had changed quite a bit too. There were several houses and small businesses he didn't remember seeing before and even unfamiliar families. Houses that had been there all his life were now painted different colors or renovated.

He distantly recalled that his parents had gotten a new roof after his mother yelled about a leek in her bedroom the previous summer, but the minor difference didn't interest him. Besides, knowing his mother, somebody just spilled something in the attic, causing her to overreact, and the roof was probably fine.

As he stood on the front porch, waiting for somebody to answer the door, a sudden though struck him. He had never gone to Banora's school, so he wasn't exactly sure when the school day was over, but he was fairly certain it was too early for Sekai to be home. And if Sekai wasn't home, only her-

He went to turn around and run for his life, but his attempt at escape was ruined when the door swung open and a nauseating sight greeted him. An elderly woman in a horrifying tight, red leather miniskirt, electric blue tights, a slightly transparent strapless blouse, and entirely too much makeup popped into his vision, expression cross.

"I don't want any of your city slicker's cookies unless they're made completely with actual Girl Scouts, no artificial-" she broke off, staring at Genesis. Her previously bored and irritated expression split into a wide grin that, to Genesis, looked dangerously like a leer.

He stepped back, expression aghast, blaming Sekai for messing with his thoughts so much. If he hadn't been so worried about her, he would have remembered that _The Grandmother _would be home and waiting to welcome him. _Calm down, Genesis!_ he thought to himself urgently, _I've fought thousands of highly-trained soldiers and assassins from Wutai and beaten them all! I can handle one old grandmother!_

"Hello there, gorgeous," she cooed at him, "It's not too often such a fine, young specimen like you ends up on my doorstep when Sekai isn't home." Her voice dropped into a mischievous whisper Genesis was sure she must've learned from some kind of devil or demon. "And you'll be ending up somewhere else beyond this doorstep pretty soon. Why don't you come in?"

Genesis tried to back away. "No thanks, really, I just-"

He didn't have the chance to finish, for the grandmother shot out a hand, equipped with five-inch sparkly pink talons and grabbed onto his arm with a surprisingly strong grip for a ninety-year-old.

"Nonsense, precious," she told him brightly. "Think of all the fun we could have." On that ominous note, she dragged the unprepared Genesis into the house, slamming the door behind him with her foot. He inwardly noted that instead of any type of shoe suitable for an old person, she wore black high heeled boots, the kind usually worn by supermarket hookers.

Before he could even yell for help, her hand reached down and swiped the sword hanging from his belt with relative ease and experience. "You won't be needing this for a while," she told him, her grin the epitome of female predatory behavior. "But you'll definitely be needing something else…" she paused and added a few extra words Genesis couldn't even bear to allow his mind to process.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sekai Kurayami, having wasted no time gathering her books and departing from the classroom, walked brusquely down the stairs of the old school. It was precisely two-thirty in the afternoon; the last train of the day had reached Banora at noon, and there was no doubt who had arrived on it.

She heard several of her classmates calling after her, though she just hastened her step and ignored them. In response, she heard the sound of their expensive, imported boots clicking down the stairs after her at the fastest speed they could manage in heels. She was familiar with the price of the overrated shoes; her grandmother had purchased several pairs and even tried to get her to wear a pair.

She'd taken a page out of Genesis book when presented with them; burned them in the backyard when no one was looking that evening.

"Sekai!" one of the girls hollered after her receding form. "Wait up! You have the nicest handwriting and we know you took notes in history class!"

Sekai sighed heavily and reached into her backpack, whipping out the notebook containing the school day's worth of information. She turned around briefly to hurtle it at them. One of the girls yelped and ducked, allowing the projectile to fly over her head and hit the wall.

"I want them back by eight o'clock tonight! One minute late you're all getting fined; one dollar a minute, per person. And you shouldn't even need the help of someone younger than you who skipped a grade. And take your own notes for once," she condoned as she turned on her heel and continued down the sidewalk. One of the three thanked her saying she'd have it back at fifteen minutes after eight.

_She better bring her wallet, then, _Sekai thought irritably. _I have to study for tomorrow's test, too, since I want to skip school on Friday…though Angeal will probably call my grandmother and try and get me in trouble…_

She took a shortcut through the business district and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket thoughtfully. She opened the calculator and multiplied the sum they'd owe her if they really did dawdle until eight fifteen. _Hmm. That's quite a lot._

She wasn't looking in front of her, and so bumped into someone's shoulder. She flipped the phone closed and apologized at the same moment the older, taller woman muttered a heavily accented apology. She stopped suddenly and turned around, watching as the woman hurried down the sidewalk. She had long black hair and seemed to be wearing some type of uniform.

_A foreigner? But no one from Wutai lives in Banora…and they couldn't have moved here recently since Shin-Ra has all the immigrants from Wutai before the war under surveillance. _She shook her head slightly and dismissed it as trivial. She glanced at the time on her phone before putting it back in her pocket and hurried down the main street in the center of Banora.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angeal wasn't in any hurry as he walked down the hill that led to the Kurayami house. He, of course, already knew that Sekai would still be at school and her grandmother was the only person home. She was probably holding Genesis hostage at that very moment. He hadn't hurried when greeting his mother, however, nor was he very concerned with saving his friend. He figured that as a member of SOLDIER, now Second Class, he'd be fine. Besides, Genesis needed to build up his endurance. _And __**not**__ in that way, _a sneaky voice that sounded suspiciously like Mrs. Kurayami herself sounded in his mind. He winced and shuddered.

He was turning the corner when he first heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around, slightly surprised to see Sekai herself, running down the road. She looked slightly out of breath, and judging by the direction she'd come from, had taken a shortcut.

"Sekai!" he called cheerfully, lifting his hand in a wave.

She looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled, also looking surprised. "Angeal!" she shouted.

She slowed down as she reached him, greeting him with another smile. "You're back!" she exclaimed, but as she looked around, her smile faded. "Where's Genesis?"

Angeal suppressed a small smile. "He's already at your house."

Sekai's expression dropped into a worried frown. "But only my grandmother's home…," she trailed off, looking horrified. "Crap."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They hurried down the road and Sekai let the gate slam behind her without a thought. Angeal winced slightly at the impoliteness of the loud sound, but didn't comment. Sekai reached into her pocket and pulled a key out, anticipation growing.

_Genesis is home. He's here, right now, after nearly two years._

With that thought in mind, she pushed the door open and headed to the kitchen. Their living room had an "old lady smell" since it was filled with her grandmother's odd knickknacks and furniture covers, so her bedroom or the kitchen was usually where he'd wait. She walked to the kitchen and nearly fell backwards.

Genesis, mute with terror, was trapped against the only empty corner in the room, with her grandmother leaning forward, grinning lasciviously. One more step, and they could be ki-

"_**Grandma!**__"_ Sekai yelled at the top of her lugs immediately. The old lady turned around as Angeal appeared behind Sekai, choking slightly at the sight of what the grandmother was wearing. Sekai reframed from banging her head against a wall. _Goddess damn those stupid boots…_

"Get out of here! And cover up!" Sekai added, squeezing her eyes shut. Who could have given a woman her age the idea of a _miniskirt_? Sekai made a mental note to shred the blouse - with rubber gloves - the first chance she got. Not there was much of a blouse to shred in the first place. Or perhaps she'd just toss it in the washer machine on the extra heavy setting. That'd do the job.

"Don't you like my outfit? I wore the red leather just for the occasion," Mrs. Kurayami pouted, but mercifully moved away from Genesis, whose eyes were firmly closed.

"No!" Sekai scolded irritably. "Now go change!"

Her grandmother paused, and winked at Genesis. "Into nothing?" she asked sweetly, and Genesis gagged at the thought. Across the room, Angeal stepped out of the way and turned his head to hide his smirk.

"Grandma, for god's sake, you're ninety years old," Sekai objected. "Just go upstairs! It's time for your medication, anyway."

Her grandmother, who had begun to move towards the door, stopped suddenly at that little bit of information. She whirled around, expression slightly cross. "I'm sixty-eight, actually. And it's medication for my arthritis, not for STDs or anything, in case you were worried-"

"_Grandmother!_" Sekai yelled, cutting her off in mid-sentence. She pushed her out the door and up the stairs, saying something along the lines of how she shouldn't be harassing and attacking young men if she had arthritis.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once they were gone, Angeal entered the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Is she gone?" Genesis asked, looking traumatized.

"Yes. You can open your eyes now," Angeal replied casually.

Genesis' eyes blinked open and he peered around the kitchen suspiciously to make sure no one was going to pop out from behind an appliance. On the opposite side of the refrigerator would have been a potential hiding place. His gaze then settled on Angeal and he glowered at his friend.

"You _knew_ that…that…_harlot_ would be home!" he snapped, glancing over to the door to make sure Sekai wasn't returning. "And don't even _try_ to look innocent! You could have _warned _me school wasn't going to be over! I never even went to that goddessforsaken school, you should have known I wouldn't know! Or thought about it long enough to know!"

"You repeated the same words so many times that hardly made sense. That, and I'm curious, actually," Angeal said conversationally, leaning back in the wooden chair and making it creak. "You survived for over an hour. I thought she would drag you straight upstairs, no questions asked. How did you get her into the kitchen?" It wouldn't hurt to know, Angeal reasoned. Especially since the same thing could very well happen to him.

"I pretended I was hungry," Genesis replied, still clearly angry. "She said she thought it'd be better if I ate first…" he blanched, refusing to repeat The Grandmother's next words.

Not that he really needed to finish.

"What did she have around? Nothing as scary as what she presented to Sephiroth all those years ago, I hope."

Genesis' glare suddenly returned, expression threatening.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sekai had her hand on her forehead and sighed heavily as she walked down the stairs. _God. No wonder my father moved out on his eighteenth birthday. It's a good thing she didn't have any daughters, because she'd just have tried to steal any boyfriends they tried to bring home…_

She reached the final step and peered into the kitchen at the sight of her two childhood friends laughing, although Genesis had just released Angeal from a headlock. She smiled slightly at the familiar sight, though it was different. Her eyes settled on Genesis first; he'd grown a lot since she'd last seen him.

They were both older, taller, and stronger. They both wore SOLDIER uniforms, a mildly unpleasant purple in color, and she inwardly noted Genesis' hair was less orderly than ever since his mother couldn't nag him about having it professionally cut. Angeal didn't have his massive Buster Sword with him, though she'd noticed Genesis' rapier placed rather haphazardly beside the coat rack amongst the umbrellas.

_Even though…I do kind of understand why he left. There's nothing here in Banora; the choice must have been pretty simple for him. I didn't see that when I was small; even I contemplate leaving now. He had no future here and he could become a hero in Midgar._

She wasn't sure what alerted him of her presence, but Genesis glanced up to see her hovering near the doorway. His smile vanished when he saw the expression on her face. She blinked, surprised at having been noticed so quickly; Genesis was usually famous for being infinitely unobservant.

"Sekai?" he said hesitantly, his tone turning the single word into a question.

She smiled in a response, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She was about to greet him, but he straightened, took a few steps forward, and pulled her into an embrace.

She didn't move, stunned by the unexpected display of affection.

"I missed you," he said warmly.

She blushed but smiled and returned the hug, resting her head against his shoulder peacefully. She suspected she heard a maniacal, though satisfied cackle from above the stairs, but didn't pay any attention to it. She found she had been holding her breath and exhaled slowly.

"I missed you, too," she said, pulling back and smiling. "Though I bet you're hungry - for real this time," she teased and turned away from Genesis, who suffered a not-so-slight eye twitch at the thought.

She looked at the counter and stared for a moment, expression suddenly dismayed. "Those cookies…," she trailed off, also looking sick.

"I had to eat them," Genesis admitted, sheepishly. "The ex-prostitute would have murdered me if I couldn't think of an excuse quickly. I think she needs glasses, because she didn't seem to realize the mold had reached the cookies. I feel kind of sick."

"She pulled them out of the _trash?_" Sekai asked, thoroughly fed up with her grandmother's antics as she stared at the familiar box of very old, very moldy box of cookies. "I took complete control of what comes in and goes out of this kitchen after she tried feeding them to Sephiroth. Where did she pull _those_ out from?"

"Uh, I think they were on top of the cabinet."

Sekai looked up, frowning deeply for the umpteenth time that day. "I didn't know she hid things in that little space up there. I can hardly reach them standing on the counter."

She sighed heavily. "I have some beef stew in the crock pot. I'll cut the vegetables now so it'll be ready for dinner…or were you going to eat at your parents'?"

"Longer I can avoid them, the better," Genesis replied simply. "Need any help?"

"You can get the potatoes, carrots, and onions out if you want. I'll take care of the chopping. All the vegetables you cut are lop sided or too big," Sekai added mischievously.

"Uh-huh," Genesis said, pulling the bags of carrots and onions from the refrigerator. "Where do you keep the potatoes?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slight frustration hit Angeal. Although the reunion had gone fairly well at first, it had deteriorated as soon as Sekai had begun to cook. For the past hour, Genesis had watched Sekai wordlessly, occasionally offering to get something down for her off a high shelf so she didn't have to get the step ladder in the corner out.

Sekai had noticed his gaze as well, Angeal guessed, as made obvious by her slight blush. Obliviously, Genesis kept staring, thoroughly lost in thought. Although the situation wasn't tense or anything, Angeal didn't think the complete lack of conversation would do anything to repair their friendship. Even if the silence was partially because Genesis still looked slightly green, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"I'll be right back," Angeal announced as he pushed his chair away from the table. The others started slightly, shaken out of the awkward, quiet gaze. Sekai opened her mouth to ask something, but Angeal was already out the door; he was on a mission.

Angeal headed up the staircase quietly and took a deep breath before heading down the hall to his doom and, hopefully, Genesis' salvation. _The things I do for my friends…, _he thought wryly. He swallowed nervously and knocked lightly on the door of Sekai's grandmother's room. There was no doubt about who the room belonged to, made obvious by the sign hanging from the doorknob that read "Do Not Disturb" and featured a disturbingly X-rated image. Although it made Angeal cringe, it also made him distantly wonder why Mrs. Kurayami only had one child.

Before he could gag at where _that_ particularly thought had come from, the door swung open. Mrs. Kurayami stood there, thankfully now wearing normal clothing. She cast him a blank stare.

"What do you want?" she asked, not rudely, but genuinely curious. It threw him off, for he hadn't expected her to be serious. Or rather, he wasn't aware she knew how to be serious.

"I…was wondering if you would help me," he replied, almost apologetically.

"With my granddaughter and that Genesis," she finished simply; it wasn't a question.

He nodded, surprised she had caught on so quickly. She noticed his surprise and became uncharacteristically solemn.

"Sekai isn't happy," she looked directly into his eyes as she spoke, "Of course I will help you help her. That Genesis boy looks a bit too much like a girl for my taste, but she certainly seems to be attached to him. What do I have to do?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sekai lifted the lid off the pot and set it down on the counter and slid the last of the carrots in. She stirred it with a large spoon, careful to make sure the potatoes were at the very bottom. She closed it up and put her cutting board in the dish washer and washed her hands slowly, scanning her mind for any other simple, little jobs she could do.

She never even bothered to look to the door to see the distraction that came strutting in.

The loud crash of Genesis falling off his chair was what alerted her. She turned around and caught sight of her grandmother in nothing but a nauseatingly pink string bikini. She dropped the bottle of soup she had been holding and it hit the floor, leaking its liquid contents over the tiled surface.

_A…two…piece…?_

Her mind was far from the thought of cleaning the mess up; as far as she knew, they didn't _make_ string bikinis when her grandmother was…of age to wear one. Her horror turned to a glare; her grandmother couldn't have bought the accursed garment very long ago.

Mrs. Kurayami didn't seem to notice the horrified reactions she'd caused. For reasons beyond her granddaughter's comprehension, she was wearing the high heeled boots again. She sashayed toward the counter and peeked into the pot of soup.

"Beef stew!" she said brightly. "Thanks, Sekai, you're a darling. When will it be done? I'm _so _hungry after all that exercise I got this afternoon," she paused, then added, "Not nearly enough, though," and winked at Genesis, who at this point looked as though he was going to suffer a minor seizure.

Sekai stammered in response, unable to find words. It didn't seem to bother her grandmother at all, though, whose cheerful, somehow innocent smile had broadened into a full, very nefarious smirk.

"Sekai," Genesis said suddenly, snatching his coat off the back of the chair after lifting it back in place, "I- I've gotta go. Um, my parents are still kinda…er…waiting to see…," he trailed off, struggling for a logical reason to make a quick escape. Before Sekai could reply, her grandmother interrupted.

"How convenient," she commented. "Sekai, I need you to pick up a package for me from Mrs. Rhapsodos. Why don't you both go together? No time like the present." Her teeth, disturbingly white and shiny for a woman her age, flashed a brilliant smile at Sekai.

Sekai, instantly alarmed, shook her head to clear herself from the shocked haze. Her eyes zeroed onto her grandmother and glared suspiciously, but Genesis was already pulling the back door open.

"Come on, Sekai!" he said quickly, waiting outside the door.

Sekai sighed heavily, giving her grandmother one more irritable glare, and tossed her apron over a chair and hurried out the door with Genesis.

"Have fun!" Mrs. Kurayami called after them, and chuckled to herself. She knew very well the beef stew wouldn't be done for a while and so quickly left the room. After all, there was still one young male left in the house.

Sekai struggled to keep pace with Genesis through the overgrown path around the side of the house. He was in a hurry to get away from the house; without looking in any of the many open windows. Even after they were on the dirt road, Genesis didn't say anything.

The sun was beginning to set and the sky was fading from light blue into the darker spectrum of twilight. The sun itself appeared orange and the sky around it flamed with red and gold. The day had been warm, though the chill of night was quickly setting in. _It is November though…even Banora gets some cold weather. Not that it bothers the dumbapples any; they'll bloom when it's so cold that picking them is a chore._

She shivered once, from the cold or just plain disappointment she wasn't sure. _Why did I even bother following him? He's just ignoring me…and he wouldn't say anything in the kitchen, either. Mrs. Rhapsodos probably doesn't have anything for my grandmother…or she's calling her right now and they're co-conspiring something._

_The last thing I need is my grandmother and Genesis' mother playing matchmakers…_

Genesis must have noticed her shiver, for he stopped suddenly and turned around.

"What-" she began, but stopped as he pulled his trench coat off and blushed as he wrapped it around her shoulders. The bottom brushed across the ground.

"Here, it's kinda cool out," he said simply.

She examined the material, smiling despite herself. "Leather? Is this the kind of thing you're wasting money on now?"

"I didn't waste _that_ much money on it. Though it is kinda small now," he admitted. "I'll probably get one with shoulder guards next time."

"So you bought it for a guaranteed outrageous price and grew out of it," she surmised jokingly, cuffing the sleeves up. "Sounds like a waste of money."

"You keep it, then."

"It's too big," Sekai objected.

"You could probably hem it."

"So my grandmother makes something out of the excess material?" Sekai asked jokingly.

Genesis shuddered. "I _really_ didn't have to be reminded of that." Sekai laughed and smiled up at him. "The collar is lopsided, let me adjust it."

"It's not going to get much better," Sekai said as he reached out to adjust it, inwardly thinking she had the odd feeling they were being watched. They were too far from her home for it to be her grandmother spying on them.

"I think you're right," Genesis admitted, reaching around the back of the collar to see if it wasn't folded correctly. Instead of retracting his hand, he embraced her gently. He buried his face in her light hair, and something tightened in her stomach as she sensed him breathing in deeply.

Time seemed to slow down around them. Sekai frowned, unsure if she was happy or just more miserable. _Why is he so kind now, all of a sudden? It may seem nice now but he's just going to leave again. To Wutai, no less…none of my letters or emails will reach him for months. He'll be in dangerous enemy territory all the time. _She blinked as moisture filled her eyes, frustration at him slowly ruining the moment. Again, he seemed to notice. He held her tighter and stroked her hair gently.

She bit her lip when he looked down at her. It was harder to focus on being upset with him when he stared straight into her eyes. She returned the gaze, slightly saddened by the luminous mako glow they now possessed.

"Sekai," he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Yeah?" she replied, suddenly feeling breathless.

"Do you hate me now?" The question caught her by surprise. He asked it flatly, though his expression was apprehensive and worried. "I don't care if everyone else in the world does…just, please, I need you to… to not hate me."

She blinked and relaxed slightly, expression softening. She smiled slightly as she spoke. "I could never hate you, Genesis. Even I tried," she added. _And I certainly have tried… _She didn't voice the final thought, but he seemed to get the idea. "I know a lot has changed…and I think I understand why you had to leave now. I still worry about you, but I don't resent you for it anymore."

"Thanks," he said quietly, returning the smile.

The moment was quickly interrupted when Genesis' cell phone rang. Sekai stepped back as he reached into his pocket to get it out. He looked at the screen and his smile faded as quickly as the sun that was disappearing below the horizon.

"What's wrong?" Sekai asked concernedly.

"That number…it's…a Shin-Ra attack alert. They only issue them to SOLDIERs within the area of the ambush," he replied darkly, flipping the phone open and pressing it to his ear.

_Attack…? Here?_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: Okay! Because I never really got around to replying to all my wonderful reviews last chapter, I am going to answer a question both my readers and me asked!

Genesis: -wary stare-

Final Hikari: -deep breath- What is a debauchee?

Genesis: -.- You used a word you didn't know the meaning of?!

Final Hikari: No, Dr. Meh did. XD And according to my dictionary, it is a self-indulgent immoral person.

Genesis: Is this so…I'm not surprised you didn't know the word, then.

Final Hikari: :p Right. Anyway! This is random, but I really feel like an author nowadays. I'm always sleepy, scribbling things in notebooks, listen to too much music, click away at my computer, not leaving the comfort of my home for over a week because it's too cold, and complaining about not having enough money. XD And blaming sleep depression on demanding deadlines I never meet anyway.

Genesis: -blank stare- You haven't left the house in a week?

Final Hikari: Well, yesterday would have been the eighth day but I had to go to the library to return some manga. Oh! And for the sake of tradition since I've yelled, "MEHRINA!" for the last two chapters, I'm going to dramatize the situation and do so again.

Genesis: Dramatize? That should be pretty easy for you.

Final Hikari: Very funny. -clears throat- Mehrina! Save contact-type-fluff for pre-CC timeline. -.- Just because we were writing and discussing bad, perverted things when we were thirteen doesn't mean it's normal. XD I'm pretty sure you started throwing the K word around with the guy I liked and me when you were thirteen. -.-

Genesis: …Well, that explains some things about the grandmother.

Final Hikari: -clears throat- I wonder if everyone can tell how much I struggled with the ending scene. T.T I felt the Doctor's was a bit too fluffy, but when I finally got around to typing it, I really struggled and kept giving up and copy and pasting her lines. T.T I totally fail at fluff. I just get frustrated. XD And it's going to read exactly like what I typed for chapter 13 last week! X.X -cries- -head hits desk- That's why it's bad to write two chapters at once.

Genesis: -.- If this is some ploy to get me to hug you again, it's not working.

Final Hikari: -sits back up- Ah well. But I really am chapped about my inability to write fluff. But once again, a big thanks goes out to Dr. Meh for lending her wonderful co-authoring talent! Only two scenes out of the many were purely from my own imagination. XD So I hope anyone sleeping at their computer waiting for the update enjoyed. :)


	14. Bloody Moon

Final Hikari: Yay, another update! I was in such a weird mood when I typed the beginning of the chapter. XD It was one of those "Hikari's in la-la land!" intros. So, yes, believe it or not Meh had nothing to do with the first two pages. Go me! XD

Genesis: -edges away- Did you ever leave this state?

Final Hikari: Yep. Quite a while ago now. This isn't really disclaimer worthy, but I really have to think of upgrading my seating situation this summer. -rubs back- My blue metal fold up chair has been placed before many a computer in my bedroom, and I've had it for…-counts- seven years because I can tilt back in it pretty far without falling backward. XD

Genesis: -blank stare- This really isn't interesting for the readers.

Final Hikari: XD I know. So let me finish and get my rant over with. Since I used to have my computer at my desk, I could tilt so far back that the chair would be leaning against my bed and I'd still be able to type since it was a desktop and I could slide the keyboard out. But now that my PS3 and 360 have my desk and my laptop is on my dresser, tilting back is still possible, but makes my back hurt and my behind go numb. And not comfortably numb, like the really good Pink Floyd song. Just painfully numb. T.T

Genesis: -edges further away- Hey, wait a second…what happened to everybody else who used to appear in the disclaimers? There's been Cloud, Aerith, Zack, Angeal, Sephiroth, and even Dr. Meh.

Final Hikari: Hmm. I'm not too sure. Zack was in Chapter 11 briefly, but I've had you all to myself recently.

Genesis: -takes a step closer to the door-

Final Hikari: XD That didn't sound right. -clears throat- Though, as Dr. Meh put it, I took Sekai's granny to "a whole new level" this chapter.

Genesis. X.X Good goddess, what did you do _now?_ Didn't you two sadistic sisters have enough fun last chapter?!

Final Hikari: :D We never have too much fun! But don't worry, she doesn't actually make an appearance. XD I thought the Doctor's comment was a bit exaggerated. XP Anyway! All Final Fantasy VII character, locations, and names belong to Square Enix. I only own Sekai, her granny, aaaannnddd…erm…that's about it. XD Dr. Meh probably owes Sekai's granny's personality though, I could never come up with such perversion… …Or come up with it AND have the guts to put it into text. XD

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 13

Bloody Moon

"They've come by water?" Genesis questioned, expression intent on the caller's words. "Understood. If the northeastern cove is their base of operations, they'll reach the mine quickly. Send a commander and infantrymen up the stone path to the train station and down the old path. Have the helicopters land on clearings above the orchards."

_Wutai is attacking Banora? __**Why? **__There's nothing here but dumbapples! _Sekai thought, thoroughly perplexed. Genesis' expression was tense as he led her through an old, overgrown boardwalk shortcut.

"Sekai," Genesis said as he helped over the handrail and onto the path. She didn't need assistance, but didn't object. He didn't release her hand as they resumed running. "They said there are soldiers targeting the old mine. Has anything odd been going on?"

"Well…," Sekai paused, unsure if the information would be of any assistance. "Remember those sinkholes that were popping up that seeped mako? They're getting really frequent. Someone even started a business that fills them with hard packed dirt or cement. My grandma hired them because the one in our backyard was making too many fumes. There have also been a lot of cave-ins in the mine…one made the ground settle several feet and disrupted the train for a few weeks."

She didn't mention her grandmother had also harassed the young man who had come to do the job. Or that the neighbors had come to see if something was wrong when they heard a scream because Granny had done…something to the poor young man when he was working.

Genesis frowned slightly as they hurried down the trail. "That mine was abandoned for a rather strange reason. The amounts of raw mako they extracted never lessened in its last weeks, they just closed it all of a sudden and started building Banora."

"But if Wutai wanted mako, why wouldn't they attack a more guaranteed location? The areas with too much mako were closed off."

"There must be something more down there," Genesis affirmed.

"Is that where you're going?"

"Not yet," he replied, "I have to get you to safety first. We don't know what their other targets are, since they might have planned to seize control over the entire village. Shin-Ra reinforcements won't be here for a good hour, so Angeal will have to stay in the village just in case a safe house has to be designated for the citizens."

"You're going into the mine alone?" Sekai interjected disapprovingly, "But what if it's a trap? They could have stuck all kinds of soldiers in there throughout the day when no one was paying attention!"

"Even more of a reason to go down there and eradicate them before they can escape."

_Eradicate, _Sekai thought, wincing slightly as they followed the walkway into the forest. _Massacre._ "But that's too dangerous. And the layout of the mine is really different now since so much caved in! I went with the group who explored to see how extensive the damage is, I could tell you where it's safe to go if you let me come."

He glanced at her reproachfully. "No. And you shouldn't have been down there in the first place, you could have gotten mako poisoning."

"I'm not nearly as susceptible to it as I was when I was little," Sekai retorted. "The fumes don't even bother me now."

"_No,_" he repeated, only more sternly. "It's too dangerous."

"That's _my _line. Let me come!"

"Look, I can handle an ambush if that's what they're readying. This war has been going on since before I joined SOLDIER; diffusing attacks and killing their soldiers is what I'm trained to do. If you think going into a mine I'm still fairly familiar with, cave-ins or not, is going to be more difficult than getting deployed alone into an enemy base I've never even seen before, you're wrong."

"That isn't my point," Sekai gritted out, already sensing the conversation changing into a fight and hoping to diffuse it. "I don't doubt you can, I just…"

"Just what?" he interrogated impatiently.

"I don't want to see you go."

"That's foolish," he said dismissively. She looked down guiltily, knowing he was correct despite the harsh way he put it. Though he showed no signs of slowing, she felt her legs starting to tire and her breath become shorter. Nevertheless, she didn't stop trying to keep up with him.

"I won't slow you down, I promise," she said, still determined to sway his decision. "So please let me come!"

"Sekai," he said, stopping abruptly to turn around and face her. The movement was too sudden and she tripped on a board slightly elevated from the others. She collided against him gently as he caught her, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her. He didn't release her immediately and she found her head resting against his shoulder. He was still a good head taller than her.

She blushed slightly as she inhaled his familiar scent. _He still uses the same brand of cologne. _She thought randomly. She'd always joked when they were little that he smelled like dumbapples and old books. She hadn't deviated very far from the truth, but it had bothered him enough to invest in an expensive foreign cologne when he was a teenager. Which, of course, had only lead to more mocking.

After another moment passed before he released her and she straightened. His hands remained on her shoulders as she took a step back. She looked up, only to find his piercing mako blue eyes looking into her own. She stared, suddenly mesmerized by the obvious change in his eye color. Not only were they far more blue, shadowed only by a receding emerald tinge, but they were _glowing._

She felt a pang of pain tug at her heart at the sight of them. She hadn't realized it in the brightness of day or when the sun was disappearing beneath the horizon, but now that it was dark and the full moon was rising, the infamous mako glow was obvious.

He must have noticed her expression darken, for he placed his hand tenderly on her cheek as he spoke. "I know you think SOLDIER is only about egoism and killing, but it's also a SOLDIER's duty to protect civilians. I've wanted to become stronger to do more than become a hero, like Sephiroth. I've done this to protect you, Sekai."

"Genesis…," she trailed off softly.

"How sweet," a deep voice with a heavy Wutaian accent drawled, "I almost hate to interrupt such a kind sentiment by killing such a serious guardian."

Genesis snapped to attention immediately and scanned the surrounding area for who had spoken as Sekai froze. They both heard a soft footfall, though Sekai hardly acknowledged it. _What is going on…?_ Genesis looked over her head and pushed her behind him as a flash of light illuminated the area and the metallic cling of sword hitting sword echoed through the woods.

Sekai landed on her knees, surprised by the abruptness of the movement and unprepared for impact. Her jeans protected her knees from being scraped on the old wooden boards, though she was sure her elbows, protected only by the floppy sleeves of Genesis' coat, were bruised. She looked up see a tall Wutaian man in military uniform with a katana in hand, sword pressing against the blade of Genesis' crimson rapier.

"Sekai, run!" Genesis exclaimed, careful to keep their swords clashed so the assassin couldn't move immediately.

She swallowed, feeling short of breath as she struggled to get to her feet. Genesis' trench coat was tangled around her legs and she nearly tripped once as she stood and quickly distanced herself from them. The boards creaked loudly beneath her feet. Genesis was pushed back a few inches before the Wutai soldier jumped back and immediately slashed vertically.

She stopped and turned around in time to see Genesis easily block the attack with the flat of his long sword and expertly counter with a quick stab. His opponent evaded with nearly unnatural speed and placed a hand on the rickety old hand rail, using it propel himself into a flip over Genesis' head. The wooden rail cracked and broke off as soon as he released it, falling into the sand and weeds that surrounded the boardwalk. Genesis whipped around, cursing softly and slashing his sword at the assassin, but missing by less than an inch.

Sekai's eyes widened as the man didn't slow or turn to face Genesis to continue the duel. Instead, he continued to charge forward in Sekai's direction, katana outstretched. She stepped back abruptly, still stunned, the realization that she couldn't evade fast enough crossing her mind even as she moved. She closed her eyes tightly, holding her arms in front of her defensively. She hadn't known what to expect of the attack, but instead a sudden gust of burning hot air blew in her face. She stopped and inhaled sharply, the hot air burning her throat. She winced as she backed away and opened her eyes slightly to see a wall of fire with the tip of a sword reaching through it.

She heard more than saw the sword clattering to the ground, metal blade turned red from the intense heat. The wall was at least ten feet high and maintained burning, fed by the wooden boardwalk. _Genesis…did he just do that? He could always do things like that without materia, but it was always on such a small scale when we were younger…like burning ants or holes in Angeal's plants without a magnifying glass…_

_…I don't think such abilities would be safe in the hands of a pyro. _Sekai thought randomly, turning around and running a few feet away from the blaze. Small embers drifted skyward and were blown away once above the trees. She quickly lost sight of the few that were airborne. _That…could be bad…_

The fire disappeared unexpectedly, leaving only smoldering wooden boards and ash beneath it. Sekai's gaze fell upon the assassin, clutching his right hand close. She didn't look at the injury long, but the man's glove had burned off and left the hand burnt beyond recognition.

Genesis appeared in front of the assassin, sword pressed against the foreigner's neck in one swift movement. Sekai looked at the once-transparent jewel mounted on the sword's intricate basket style hilt and felt a slight trace of bewilderment. It had been almost perfect clear with only a light purple tint when he purchased it, but now seemed darker and nearly opaque. She knew the shade could have been influenced by the night sky above, but she was sure there was a slight difference.

"Why are you here?" Genesis asked the assassin sharply.

After a brief silence, the man released his injured and straightened to meet Genesis' piercing stare. "There is only one thing this town had that is worthwhile. We want the sacred boon."

"What boon?" Genesis asked suspiciously.

"If even _you_ don't know about it, how do you deserve to have it?" he retorted, slipping the fingers of his unburned hand into a pocket in his uniform. The movement caught Sekai's attention as he pulled out several small, thin pieces of silver, tucked between his knuckles.

"Genesis!" Sekai yelled frightfully. "H-he's still armed!"

Genesis' gaze dropped to the small, Wutaian daggers he had produced and retracted his sword, holding it diagonally in a defensive position. He tilted the sword to block each blade with almost perfect precision, all but one bouncing against the side of his sword with a flash_. _The final went unblocked and embedded itself into the young SOLDIER's shoulder.

Genesis winced in pain and jumped back as the assassin drew a six-inch knife from a sheath behind his back. The tiny dagger fell from the bleeding wound in his shoulder when he moved and stirred up a small cloud of ash. He glanced over the foreigner's shoulder and his eyes met Sekai's eyes briefly.

"_Run!"_ Genesis repeated, with less patience. "Now!"

Sekai swallowed, reluctant to leave. _I have to, he was right. They'll target me in order to distract Genesis. _She took a deep breath and turned on her heel, running up the stairs. _They said they were targeting the mine…I certainly can't go back in the direction we came. This leads into the right entrance to the train station; if I follow it then exit via the main entrance that leads through town, I should be able to escape._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the small businesses that populated the main street of Banora had brought their wares in and closed their doors for the night after the sun set. The sky was dark and the stars were slowly appearing as the citizens of the small town also retired to their homes for the night.

There was hardly any activity about the streets, just like any other night. Even at Rhapsodos Manor from where it was located on a hill high above, there was no movement on the exterior grounds. With Genesis out of the house, it was almost equally silent within as well.

Mrs. Rhapsodos leaned back in the chair with her eyes closed, placing her glass of wine on the table. "Shin-Ra is sending their dogs here, correct?"

The room was dimly lit and three people sat at the table. A light on the opposite side of the room and a few candles illuminated the area, though the setting was anything but romantic. The air was tense and all were, unlike the rest of the town, aware of the battle that was going to ensue.

Her husband nodded. "Ishida Mitsunari has probably met up with Genesis now."

"The assassins leading the unit are all suspicious that this is staged. The faster they're taken down the better, but are you sure that boy can defeat Ishida, Arakawa, and Chinatsu? The infantry will act without contemplating the orders but if they realize what is happened and desert with the soldiers under their command, this town will turn into a battleground for a three way fight," the Wutai commander said in a heavily accented voice.

"He'll be just fine," Mrs. Rhapsodos assured as she opened her eyes, "this was our only chance to stage something like this without Shin-Ra interfering too quickly. Anything in Midgar would be crushed without his assistance and our control in other regions is a great deal weaker than it is here. Furthermore, I've taken a step to ensure he won't be defeated."

"A step? Something outside the plan?" the commander asked darkly, expression instantly untrusting.

"Relax, I only made sure that girl would be with him," she replied shortly, "I called her grandmother, so they'd go together. If it's her life that's on the line, and not just his own or a stranger's, there is no doubt that he'll be able to kill all the adversaries that present themselves."

"And what if they realize that and attack her instead?" the commander accused.

"If her life is extinguished, it's just a number to subtract in the town's population. She's a good reason for him to fight in this battle but she'll only be a hindrance in him making First Class," Mr. Rhapsodos agreed.

"What's your plan for when she's killed and he's off guard? Our soldiers won't hesitate," he said sternly.

"Why, that's where Sephiroth comes in," Mrs. Rhapsodos said, almost sweetly. "He's being sent as well just to ensure nothing happens to Genesis when he's too disoriented to focus on fighting."

The Wutainese man scanned both their expressions for a long moment before a slight smirk came over his own. "You're bribing the enemy in a war, sacrificing the lives of townspeople, and your son's girl, just to improve his rank in the military? That's pretty cruel."

"Her life is disposable," she said, slightly regretfully despite her previous comment, "I always thought she was a nice girl but she's only making Genesis question his reasons for joining SOLDIER now. Anything that hinders his promotion to the top will be eliminated. He may not realize we're aware of what's happened between them, but it's just childish ignorance."

"If you're found out fraternizing with the enemy, Shin-Ra will have you and your son executed. Why would take such a risk for a mere rank?"

"There is more to this situation than need be explained," Mr. Rhapsodos said dismissively. "Please take the final payment and leave Banora. Once Shin-Ra arrives, your infantrymen will be wiped out and any assassins Genesis and Angeal don't take care of will follow. If you value your life, depart before that happens."

The Wutainese commander sat up, not bothering to slide his chair back in place. "I will not be able to trick the government again. Make the most of _our _army's sacrifice, as well. The sum of money and weapons you offered in compensation are far more valuable than the lives of these condemned soldiers, but even outnumbered as we are, we still have some honor."

He left the room and started to the door without another word. The servant that waited outside bowed her head to the man and led him to the exit. Both husband and wife were silent until he closed the door behind him, listening as the sound of his footsteps receded then disappeared.

"Do you think she'll die tonight?" she asked, watching the candle in the middle of the table struggle to remain illuminated. She'd abandoned the façade she'd kept up in the foreigner's presence. All the wax of the candle had melted and the wick was drooping to the side, causing the fire to flicker and smolder.

"I don't think we would be so lucky," he replied, refilling their glasses with the last of the wine bottle's contents. "She'll be a hindrance for a while still. As you said, Genesis won't allow it. If they separate and she's found by one of the assassins or soldiers, she'll be killed, but he's more intelligent than that."

Mrs. Rhapsodos leaned forward and blew the candle out. A small trail of smoke rose up into the air as the faintly burning fire disappeared. The dark, blood red wax instantly began to harden. Her husband lifted it up and discarded it, tray and all, into a wastepaper basket. She frowned slightly but didn't comment.

"I would have preferred to dispose of her while he was away, but his suspicion toward the company and distrust toward us would all have been confirmed. The negative psychological impact on him caused by her death will be considerable, but he won't leave the company if her life is lost when in his hands."

"She's his weakness," she muttered softly.

_He isn't our son, _she reminded herself firmly, _there's no reason for me to feel regret. We just have to complete our duty as his foster parents by whatever means necessary. This is just part of fulfilling that promise._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The assassin wielded the dagger with extreme precision, adjusting to combat against a much longer blade with haunting ease. Genesis' only advantages were the fact his opponent wasn't using his preferred hand, and that his weapon was short enough for him to evade but not block.

Expression impassive and gaze calculating, he dropped to his knees to avoid a horizontal slash and ducked behind the enemy, slashing his sword diagonally across his back. The assassin sprung forward, but the superior length of Genesis' rapier worked to his favor. His adversary was unable to avoid the attack and the silver tip of his sword sliced through the back of his uniform and inflicted a deep slash stretching from his shoulder to his waist.

He staggered forward and Genesis rushed forward, raising his sword high to impale the soldier. The man's stagger turned into a fall, and he rolled over and extended his almost unrecognizable scorched hand. Genesis winced as his sword passed though the man's hand effortlessly and landed in a wooden board.

He jerked his rapier out and rested the tip against his foe's neck, for the second time that fight. The assassin lowered the thin scarf-like material that covered his mouth and nose and smirked up to the victorious SOLDIER, chuckling amusedly.

"There's nothing funny about this," Genesis retorted sternly, "I'm going to kill you."

"Oh, but it's very entertaining…comical, even. The battle was short, but you haven't already finished it because you want to learn of the sacred boon. However, you didn't even think of your little friend, running off all alone into the hands of my colleagues. Did it simply slip your mind there are guns and swords in those hands?"

Genesis' grip on the hilt of his rapier tightened. Without saying another word or asking another question, he shoved the blade of his sword through the man's neck without hesitation. His eyes widened and he went limp instantly, though Genesis hardly expended the time to retract his blade before turning on his heel and running in the direction Sekai had gone.

The corpse left behind in the wake of the Second Class SOLDIER lay in an expanding puddle of blood. The dark liquid of life didn't sink into or slip between the wooden boards immediately, and the unmoving pool that formed reflected the full moon perfectly. It tinted the pure, white celestial body a foreboding, deathly red.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: Short chapter. -ducks the flaming torches and fork sticks thrown- But there was a tiny bit of an editing delay, too, due to finals! XD It wasn't all my lack on inspiration!

Genesis: -.- That's why you neglected your most popular story for so long?

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- Please don't look at me like that. I had the first scene of this chapter done around when I posted chapter 12. XD Also, I'm very pissed at myself, though I was happy that I wrote fluff myself for a change. It went too much like the previous chapter. T_T But since I couldn't bring myself to conjure a new idea, I decided to leave it as a testament to why you're supposed to write chapters in chronological order. XD

Genesis: …So what did get you in the mood to finish this chapter?

Final Hikari: XD You don't want to know. Really.

Genesis: I'm sure your readers morbidly do; it's always mildly entertaining to hear your halfassed excuses all the time.

Final Hikari: -double sweat drop- Fine. I wrote a battle in Faize Sheifa Beleth's POV for my new Star Ocean: The Last Hope fan fiction, Utopia, and since I kept typing 'rapier' I got in the mood to write another swordfight…and since you use a rapier…XD

Genesis: …That's it? You've got to be kidding.

Final Hikari: -hides- I'm not. Really.

Genesis: -displeased stare- You're absolutely impossible to inspire on demand, but you finish a chapter on a foolish whim of motivation like _that?_

Final Hikari: I said don't look at me like that! Besides, next chapter will make the 100 page mark!

Genesis: And it took over a year!

Final Hikari: You're so stubborn and unappeasable!

Genesis: I'm just voicing the complaints of your readers.

Final Hikari: Fine. But remember, you, unlike my readers, will suffer in future chapters if you act up too much. :D -laughs evilly as surrounding fades to black-


	15. Without Losing Sight, I’m Looking At You

Final Hikari: -head hits desk- I'm sooooo sleepy. I always wake up at 3 AM. T.T It's either my cat, my parents, or it just happens… Someone poke me with a stick until I'm conscious enough to type coherently…

Genesis: Sure. -pokes with a rather large, branch-like, and somewhat lethal stick-

Final Hikari: -.- That's more than a stick!

Genesis: What? It was the closest thing and your entire backyard is littered with them.

Final Hikari: -sweat drop- My dad's chopping at the trees again?

Genesis: Apparently.

Final Hikari: -frown- When did you go outside? It's blazing hot! I haven't left the house since going grocery shopping over the weekend.

Genesis: -blank stare- You haven't gone outside in a week _again?_

Final Hikari: Hell no. Have you looked at the thermometer? It's not fit for man nor monster out there!

Genesis: -.- Are you insinuating something with that?

Dr. Meh: Was that even a question?

Final Hikari: -waves the Doctor away- It could be the sleep deprivation talking. I need to look into careers that require the worker to go to sleep early like eight o'clock and wake up at three AM. I think it's happening solely out of habit now. -rests head on arms on desk- I'm not used to this…

Genesis: -pokes with branch-

Final Hikari: -.- Disclaim yourself and the rest of the story. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to poke the hand that writes about you?

Genesis: Nope, can't recall that lesson.

Dr. Meh: Can you recall _any_ lessons?

Genesis: …The Final Hikari doesn't own anything Final Fantasy VII.

Final Hikari: Oh! And to answer the question of my wonderful reviewer, FaerieFigher009, I suppose it _is_ always Genny's shoulder. XD I also have a bit of a shoulder fetish when it comes to where I let my characters get injured. It can create tension for the surrounding characters since it's an area close to the heart. Furthermore, it's a painful place to be wounded, but not usually fatal. Chapter time!

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 14

Without Losing Sight, I'm Looking At You

Sekai Kurayami ran up the worn stone stairs, breathlessness growing unbearable and strained muscles objecting to the fast pace. The full moon was high in the sky and the air was growing colder, a reflection of the sporadic fall weather the coast was experiencing. It was just late enough for all of Banora's citizens to be retiring to their homes.

She knew she was nearing the crossroads; higher up the stairs was the train platform. The sloping path that went south would lead back into town, and the eastern one, which would be directly across from the direction she was going in, would lead to the old mine; a destination she certainly didn't want to near alone.

Sekai swallowed when she heard gunshots sound in the distance, but only increased her speed. She skipped two stairs at a time, but the result turned out to be disastrous when the bottom of the oversized trench coat wrapped around her left leg, effectively tripping her.

"Damn!" she squeaked as she felt herself falling forward.

She had no time to react, other than to squeeze her eyes tightly shut and block her face with her arm. She hit the stairs with agonizing force, tearing the material that covered her elbows and knees. She bit her tongue when her chin hit one of the hard stairs, and quickly tasted blood.

She winced and moved her wrist and fingers hesitantly, making sure no bones were broken. Her left arm had hit first, receiving the worst of the blow. She felt a persistent ache from her left shoulder, but could still move it without an intolerable amount of trouble. She sat up slowly and grimaced a second time.

"Stupid, overpriced coat…," she grumbled as she stood.

Blood dripped down her left leg from the cut on her knee and stained her jeans a dark red. She limped up a few stairs, waiting for the pain to recede, but stopped suddenly when she heard distant, muttered voices. She glanced around frantically, unable to discern the direction from whence they came.

They were hushed, but she was sure they were men speaking. They grew louder and she recognized the language they spoke to be that of Wutai. She scanned her memory for any of the phrases and words she'd learned in her language class at school, but her mind was blank, impeded by her panic. She couldn't recall anything.

She took a hesitant step forward, but the rustle of leaves followed by the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps made her freeze. She looked up, quickly determining they were coming from the south staircase. It hardly mattered she didn't move, for there would have been no place to hide either way. _South? But Genesis said they had come by boat, from the east! If they're coming up that staircase, that means… they've already…infiltrated the town…?_

Two soldiers, clad in full armor bearing the colors of Wutai, appeared on the platform above her. They were two tall, heavyset men each bearing a sword and pistol at their side, and rifles in their hands. She felt her heart skip a beat and she took an involuntary step backward as they both raised their firearms.

One shouted something in his native language, but she didn't recognize the words. She turned to run as they took aim, though the feeling of futility hung over her numbed mind. She knew it would be of no use from the moment she moved.

She hardly comprehended the situation while listening as they both pulled the triggers. She closed her eyes, a small voice in the back of her mind wondering how painful it would be to get shot. The nearly deafening crack of the firearms as they released their bullets filled her ears.

_Genesis…_

Two bullets flew over her head as an enraged yell sounded. She whipped around when she heard the shells emit a metallic click as the rifle that fired them clattered in their wake. She saw a flash of silver as the second foreign soldier screamed, though this time in fear. A long, slanted blade sliced through the air, aimed at the man's neck, and beheaded him effortlessly.

A splatter of blood fell across the stone as his headless body slumped backward. His head, bearing an expression she didn't want to remember, remained airborne for a long moment before tumbling down the stairs. She gasped and jumped away, shielding her eyes from the lurid sight. She looked around to see the identity of her savior instead, at first expecting it to be Genesis, but knew it couldn't be due to the sword she had seen.

Trying to ignore the line of blood on the stone left by the dismembered head, she surveyed the platform, but it appeared empty. She walked up several stairs, scanning the area to make sure no other soldiers were going to appear. She reached the top of the stairs and glimpsed the first corpse. His pistol had fallen from its holster and slid several feet away. A deep, fatal slice stretched from the man's head to the small of his back and the mark of a stab was present over his heart. The grim stench of death already exuded from their bodies.

She gagged and pulled the collar of the coat over her nose and mouth, silently wondering how such a foul odor could come from bodies that had been living just a few minutes before. _How many…die just like this every day in a time of war?_

"Stay out of the way if you value your life," an icy, all-business voice said flatly from behind her.

She jumped and turned around, stepping away from the man who, apparently, had rescued her. However, the sight of him left her unsure if she should relax or remain on guard. _How…how did he just appear behind me…?_

"S-Sephiroth," she stammered, inwardly thinking the notorious First Class SOLDIER had also matured since she'd last seen him. He was quite a bit taller and he'd filled out into an even more imposing stature than before. His cold, unfeeling eyes, however, seemed the same as they had always been; even when he was merely a child. They radiated an unnaturally bright mako glow that reflected him to be more monstrous than any other SOLDIER in the organization.

His equally unnatural feminine hair was quite a bit longer, too.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, stepping aside as he walked past her.

He ignored the question and started toward the southern staircase. His sword was coated in blood, some of which appeared to be half dried, and his black trench coat was decorated similarly. The blood of his many victims, from that night alone, was haunting.

"Hey!" she called as he began to descend the stairs wordlessly. "Did you hear me? What's going on? What happened in town?"

"The evacuation is already complete," he replied shortly.

She opened her mouth to object further, though a 'thank you' didn't even cross her mind. Between her distrust of the First Class SOLDIER and her fear for the rest of Banora's citizens and her grandmother, it seemed insignificant. She was quickly distracted when a voice she welcomed sounded from the direction she'd come in.

"Sekai!" Genesis yelled, as soon as he spotted her. He sprinted up the stairs, red rapier still in hand, and jumped over the fallen soldier's head with a mildly confused look.

He reached her side in seconds, frowning when he saw her bleeding leg but not commenting. "What the hell happened?"

"I, uh…," she stuttered, unsure exactly how to explain. It had happened so quickly, relating the events seemed impossible.

Her gaze was diverted when another gunshot sounded, though by the time her gaze settled on Sephiroth, who never stopped his casual yet ominous walk down the stairs, another soldier of Wutai lay dead in his wake. He followed her gaze, expression even more surprised when he saw the General.

"Sephiroth?" Genesis questioned abruptly. "They sent you here, too? Has the situation become that serious?"

To her puzzlement, the other SOLDIER stopped and turned around. "Genesis. Enter the mine and lead the counterassault against Wutai. Only assassins, not infantry, have reached the targeted location."

_This jerk is way too heartless to have any friends. Since when were they on a first name basis…? _Sekai wondered randomly, quickly dismissing the worthless thought.

"I can't," Genesis objected, sounding slightly regretful. "I have to get Sekai to safety first. The first dumbapple juice factory is the guarded safehouse, I can lead the counter after I take her there."

"The town has been taken by the enemy and the unit protecting the civilians is engaged in combat. She is safer with you."

Genesis' expression darkened, his reluctance to accept the order apparent. "Sephiroth, that order isn't reasonable, she-"

"Reno taught her to shoot," the General interjected, turning away from them and resuming his progression toward the heart of Banora. "She should be of use to you. Now go."

"_Reno?_" Genesis echoed disbelievingly, casting her a bewildered though suspicious look. "What is he talking about?"

Sekai, despite feeling slightly triumphant that he was ordered to take her with him, forced a timid smile. "I asked Reno to teach me marksmanship a few years ago."

"But he's been in the Turks for years," Genesis retorted, clearly displeased. "You were little when he left his job in Banora!"

"It was only a few years ago," she pointed out, though it did actually feel a long time ago to her as well.

"But why would you-" Genesis began, but was once again interrupted by the First Class SOLDIER.

"Stop wasting time with such idiocy," he said, tone cold as ever.

Genesis' shoulders fell and he saluted the higher ranked officer. "Yes, sir."

He cast Sekai a final dejected glanced before walking over and picking up the pistol of the one deal soldier up, checking to make sure it was loaded, evidently finding a few bullets missing. He turned to the fallen soldier and rooted around in the pouches attached to the man's belt before producing a few bullets and loading them into the pistol.

He stood and met her gaze evenly for a long moment before extending it to her. His expression was conflicted and he released the barrel unwillingly when she reached out and took it from him.

"Do as I say and _don't_ follow me into anything too dangerous. I won't want you in the line of fire when I'm fighting."

"Of course," she replied automatically.

He started toward the eastern staircase without another word, expression exasperated. She followed him quickly and found it easier to keep up with him than before. Whether he was simply going slowly as not to lose her, or if it was because he was injured, she couldn't be sure. Even if she had a healing materia, she wouldn't have known how to use it in order to help him.

They followed the old path silently, though the air seemed to grow increasingly tense as their descent led to them to the severally degraded portions of the stone road. The stairs shifted from worn and chipped to broken or simply gone. They had to jump over several chasms, one of which Genesis had to help her cross.

The moon rose steadily higher in the sky, signifying the onslaught of night. Her conception of time was distorted since she'd paid so little attention to it, but she was sure it was getting late when they reached the end of the stairs.

The skeletal remains of a stone road, half buried by dirt and the roots of the Banora White Trees that made a tunnel above them, stretched before them. Leaves and a few rotten dumbapples littered the path; for some odd reason, the trees that grew near the mako mine had come to fruition earlier than the ones in the orchards. They seemed to be in sync with the largest one that grew beside Genesis' house.

They continued forward at a slower, more cautious pace. Genesis had his sword at the ready and instructed Sekai to stay close to him as they neared the entrance to the mine. They walked down the path for several minutes, something Sekai was grateful for, since it gave her time to catch her breath.

Massive, bulky boulders served as a blockade to the majority of the entrance, but there was a small opening on the far right side where someone could slip through sideways. Judging by its size, it had been made larger by the Wutai assassins for easier movement. A few fresh cuts in the stone were visible, a clear testament to tampering.

Genesis entered first, sword outstretched. Sekai waited for him to give the signal that it was safe for her to continue as well, but grew concerned after a few moments passed and she was greeted only with silence. After another agonizing small eternity, Genesis spoke.

"C'mon," he said shortly.

She frowned slightly and slid inside, glad she didn't have to duck to traverse the threshold. She was surprised to find the cavernous entrance lit by torches mounted on the walls. The brackets that held them in place were old and rusty; some had not been lit for they were held in place by only one nail and tilted at a dangerous angle. The wood in them was fresh and the fire looked as though it could burn for hours to come, perhaps even until morning.

The flames that engulfed the top of the wooden stakes were tinged dark purple in color, imploring it was lit by some unnatural means. She guessed materia, but having never used any, wasn't familiar with the color of the blaze they conjured.

"They lit the torches?" Sekai whispered, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Apparently," he replied bleakly as they walked through the dank caverns.

The mines had undergone noticeable changes since the last time Genesis was in them. They didn't go down the small pathway that led to where he'd assembled a room, but progressed down the main hall that would bring them to the center of the mine. She'd never followed him all the way; the mako-laced air had been too much for her as a child, and she seldom returned after he left for Midgar.

He'd selected an out-of-the-way passage closer to the entrance to set up a room, where the air would by dry enough not to produce mold. It was also where the scent and presence of mako was minimal, so Sekai could accompany him. The desk was full of books and papers and had two chairs in front of it. He'd even put a bed in there at some point, so he had a place to sleep when he wanted to avoid his parents, but she wasn't entirely sure if it was still there.

She remembered several of such occasions clearly. They became more frequent when he had started training to join SOLDIER, and she'd make an extra portion when cooking dinner for her grandmother and herself to bring him. Other times she just brought sweets she'd baked and used him as her victim taste tester.

It seemed to be an eternity ago that she'd sneak off periodically during the day and walk the long trip to the mine to see him. He'd always keep his copy of LOVELESS with him, no matter how unexpected his departure from his home. She would have half expected him to have a copy of the epic with him even then, but pockets on the standard SOLDIER uniform weren't large enough to carry a book.

The mixture of dirt and sand beneath their feet was surprisingly moist. The large wooden braces that kept the ceiling, a packed combination of stone and dirt, high above them showed more signs of degradation than they had when they were children. The wood reflected the negative effects of being in a dark, wet environment for well over twenty years and the metal that bound each piece together was rusted beyond recognition. It wasn't a wonder some parts of the paths had caved in.

There was no sign of any other people in the mine as they moved forward, though the composition of the huge tunnels around them eventually shifted into exclusively stone. The path slanted downward as the air grew cooler and damper. She shivered unintentionally and drew the oversized red leather coat closer.

"How far do you think they went?" Sekai muttered questioningly. "Could they have taken a different route?"

"Speed is essential to their mission…the main trail is the fastest way to the center. They got here a while before us, but since they're still screwing around with the torches, we ought to catch up with them soon enough," he replied quietly, equally careful to keep his voice down.

"What do you think they meant by that 'boon' down here?"

"I don't know," he said, rather curtly, "if we're lucky, we'll find out. It doesn't sound like anything Shin-Ra would explain to their operatives."

Essentially, he still appeared anything but pleased about the situation. Nevertheless, his eyes seemed cool and calculating, not showing even a remnant of the hotheaded attitude he'd always carried in the past. _Perhaps whoever wrote that article __**did**__ know what they were talking about…_

They approached a sharp hill in the path at a corner and Genesis stopped suddenly, extending his left arm to silently signal her to do the same. She waited and listened carefully, again catching parts of a hushed conversation in Wutaiian. She tried to discern what was being said, and managed to pick up a few words this time with her mind clear. She felt safe enough at Genesis' side not to freeze at the sign of enemies.

The small portion of conversation she could translate yielded little to no information. Genesis turned to her and mouthed "stay here" before turning abruptly and running around the corner toward the soldiers. She took a single step forward and dropped to her knees to peer out from behind the wall to see what was happening.

Two soldiers, part of the infantry judging by their uniforms, had materia in hand and were lighting the torches that lined the walls. They both whipped around when they heard Genesis coming, but scantly had time to draw their weapons.

The first dropped the red materia he held and reached for his rifle, but Genesis' vertical slash was faster. The swift movement of Genesis' sword cutting through the air was indistinguishable from the blood that was drawn. The man stumbled backward, a deep slash extended down his neck and chest before falling.

The female soldier already had her pistol out and Sekai held her breath as she quickly took aim. Her grip on her own pistol tightened, but the thought of shooting a living, breathing human rattled her.

Genesis whipped around in time as the woman firing a single shot that ricocheted off his rapier. It hadn't seemed to damage the blade in the slightest as Genesis, quickly and mercilessly, impaled her through the heart. Sekai let out the breath, feeling slightly relieved, despite the death before her eyes as he retracted his sword and she collapsed.

Genesis straightened, lowering his sword at the same time, and wiped a smear of blood off his cheek. All the movement really accomplished was spreading it around. He turned to face her and Sekai was about to smile gently, but instead, a look of shock and fear came over her face as a strong arm from behind wrapped around her waist.

She was lifted off the ground brusquely and trashed her arms as Genesis sprinted forward. A hand grabbed her wrist and twisted it backward, causing her to cry out, but more importantly causing the pistol to drop from her grip. He then kicked it away to the other side of the room and he took a few steps down the incline.

Genesis stopped hardly a moment after, for another arm wrapped around her neck and the blade of a knife was pressed against her skin. She froze and stopped struggling as the cold metal lightly pierced her skin, only deep enough to draw a few beads of blood on the weapon. Her captor, apparently a man, held her so tightly against his armor, she found it difficult to breathe. He had her arms pinned to her sides, leaving her helpless.

"Good evening, Genesis Rhapsodos," he drawled, though he spoke with a heavy accent.

"Let her go!" Genesis said, eyes flashing. "If you want to fight me, do it with honor, not a hostage."

The assassin scoffed in response. "There is no honor when a war is doomed to failure. You worthless SOLDIERs may act with such foolish pretences, but you are backed with a country determined to choke all the life out of the world behind you. Our arsenal of power is not nearly so vast, for we do not steal it from what gives us life."

Sekai struggled to meet his gaze, but Genesis kept his stare settled on her captor, almost as if deliberately not looking at her. The sentiment made her position seem even more futile, if that was possible.

"So you're going to shame your country as well as take the life of an innocent civilian?" Genesis retorted stubbornly.

"Shinra is the only one _shaming_ Wutai," he said coldly, "But you are hardly in the position for idle threats. Release your sword and let us have the boon, then we will not harm her."

Another assassin, this one a woman, appeared behind him and approached Genesis with a katana in her left hand. She had dark black hair tied back in a bun on the back of her head and characteristic, slanted eyes. She stopped a few feet in front of her colleague, expression betraying no emotion.

Genesis lowered his sword, partially to her dismay, but was clearly reluctant to drop it. Sekai cast a desperate glance at the pistol she'd been disarmed of, but it was feet away and rested leaning against the far left wall beneath a torch. She hardly believed it possible for the man to have more strength, but the soldier's grip around her tightened.

"You'll let her go if I surrender?" Genesis interrogated evenly.

The man smirked, clearly seeing him as a gullible child. "Correct. You will follow us to the boon and then she'll be returned to you."

She grimaced in pain as he pressed the knife closer. Her eyes were closed, so she didn't see, but rather heard, the sound of Genesis' sword clattering to the stone floor. The man snickered as she opened her eyes to see Genesis concentrating on the air above her captor.

The woman wielding a katana now held it outstretched, but stopped and suddenly looked up too, high above her companion's head. The shadow of concern registered on her expression, alerting him, too, to look up.

A small trail of smoke emanated from a tiny flame on the wooden support above him. As soon as the saw it, the fire expanded and engulfed all three pieces of wood. The blaze sent a gust of burning, hot air over them.

"Like hell I'd fall for that!" Genesis exclaimed as the assassin tensed and jumped forward in the moment of time to avoid the collapse, and landed painfully on his left shoulder.

Sekai felt the knife slip from his right hand and unintentionally sink down into the base of her neck upon the moment of impact. She gasped as she felt the metal rip through her veins and the blood drip down her neck but quickly remembered to struggle.

Using his momentary disorientation to her advantage, she jerked her arms from his grip and pulled away from the arm he had around her neck. She scrambled to her knees but he was just as fast and reached out, knife still in hand, to apprehend her.

She noticed a flurry of moment but didn't take the time to distinguish it as he sat up and his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She nearly tumbled backward, back into his grasp, but a flash of crimson mere inches away from her head appeared behind her and the arm went limp.

She glanced up to see Genesis, but had little time for celebration as he quickly took her hand and pulled her back to her feet. She stumbled, nearly falling, but he steadied her, letting her catch a glimpse of an armored, dismembered arm on the ground. She didn't move, feeling almost numb.

She heard the sound of a sword being pulled from a scabbard and Genesis abruptly placed his left hand on her head and hugged her close to his chest as the tips of two blades settled on him. The tip of the female assassin's katana pressed against his back, directly above his heart. The other blade, this one also a katana, trembled slightly as it jerked forward, slicing a few strands of Sekai's hair and a deep cut into Genesis' left hand as the point settled on Genesis neck, just above her head.

Genesis' right arm was also around her waist and he held his sword diagonally guarding her carefully. She didn't move, though the accelerated pounding of her heart left her shaking slightly. She looked over to see the katana pointed at his neck trembling, apparently held by the injured man.

The assassin's breathing was rough and heavy and she saw a growing puddle of blood forming on the floor to his right out of the corner of her eye. She closed her eyes and found herself listening, once again, to Genesis' heartbeat, but under far less comforting pretences than when they'd embraced under the setting sun at only a block away from her house.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: -proud grin- Genesis! Do you know what this chapter marks?

Genesis: An apparent lack of coherency from the author? Listening to an album named "Diabolos," of all things, for far too long?

Final Hikari: -.- I'm in a good mood, so I'll let that slide. But, no! Any other guesses?

Genesis: The most boring yet long chapter title in a long time? A pissed off author forced to use a wireless keyboard because eight keys on her laptop stopped working?

Final Hikari: -.- No. Although I do really wish I could type on my laptop. X.X Oh, P, ", ?, and :, why did you stop working?! -clears throat- Ahem! As of Chapter 14 of All That's Left Behind, this story is officially over 100 pages! :D At long last! 103, actually!

Genesis: Well, it took long enough, seeing as you wrote over 200 pages in six months once.

Final Hikari: Silence! And that was because I was only working on one story…I've written more than 200 pages over the last six months, just in all different projects, I'm sure. XD -turns back to readers and smiles- To all who have stuck with ATLB and me through all the ups and downs over this past year, I thank you very much! The best is yet to come, and there's lots more story to tell!

Genesis: Tell me about it. You really _will_ have to write the post-Crisis Core content as "After The Last Battle" at this rate. You've only told about a fourth of the story, if that, after all…

Final Hikari: …Party pooper. Anyway! This was a very, very dark chapter with a terrible cliffhanger. XD It was a very serious chapter and I hope I did it justice. T.T I hope I didn't overemphasize anything, but I wanted to draw attention to the contrast between Genesis' and Sekai's world views. I wanted to illustrate how Genesis quickly became the hardened SOLDIER after years of war and bloodshed, whereas Sekai, who had never seen death before, was abruptly greeted with the reality of the situation. It also forged another good complication in their relationship and how she had to admit that their age and lifestyle differences pulled them further apart.

Genesis: …You really _are_ a sadist.

Final Hikari: :D Thank you! Now, to my wonderful readers, please review! XD Now that it's summer and the wonderful **Dr. Meh** doesn't have school and is improving upon her tendency to accidentally delete things *coughs*, updates will be a lot more frequent! Peace like chicken grease! Final Hikari over and out! -salutes-

Note from the Doctor: Keep an eye out for the Granny! She'll be back soon to torture your favorite moron in red!

Response from the Writer: Just what are you plotting without my knowing?! XD


	16. If One of My Wishes Were To Come True

Final Hikari: -flops- What is this, the third or forth update you've squeezed out of me this week? XD Anyway, I got this idea back in November during one of my many sleepless nights, but I'm surprised I've stretched it for so many chapters. XD I just can't remember exactly how I ended it…

Genesis: …Is that really something to be proud of?

Final Hikari: :p Not because I'm taking too much time, it's just because a lot happened! And frankly, I think I owed it to my readers. -sweat drop- When was the last bit of suspense? DX There was the chase chapter 2 and then a fight in chapter 4...but has there been anything since? X.X

Genesis: ……….You don't remember?! What kind if author _are_ you?

Final Hikari: :D The kind with ten projects, two kiribans, and four gift fics who lives on her computer!

Genesis: …Sixteen projects all together?

Final Hikari: …Please don't look at me like that. It just…happened!

Genesis: -rolls eyes- I think it takes quite a lot for sixteen fan fiction projects to "just happen". I'm surprised your editor hasn't chewed you out yet.

Final Hikari: -.- What's to say she hasn't? Do the disclaimer!

Genesis: ….The Final Hikari doesn't own anything from the Compilation Final Fantasy VII.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 15

If One of My Wishes Were To Come True

Sekai Kurayami didn't move, though it was hardly her own safety she feared for; it was Genesis'. They were trapped in a lose-lose situation he'd thoughtlessly rushed into, simply to save her at his own expense. There was no favorable outcome she could see; at least for Genesis. They were trapped and only because she _had_ become an impediment to his mission.

The air was heavy and oppressively tense; the cold and salty smell of the stagnant air seemed insignificant in comparison. The only movement was that of the violently shaking blade pointed at Genesis' neck. The hand that wielded the sword sported a deep cut, but it was the increasing amount of blood lost from when his arm was severed that caused such a great impediment.

"That was foolish," his adversary snapped, though his voice held an edge of pain. "What do you intend to do now? You've lost."

"Can a man with only one arm really say that?" Genesis retorted, voice flat and icy, almost comparable to Sephiroth's.

He glanced over his shoulder at the cold expression worn by the woman wielding the katana and back to the armless man before looking down and resting his chin atop Sekai's head. For yet another moment that seemed to stretch on for a small eternity, no one moved or spoke. She wanted to look up at him questioningly, but he didn't let her move her head.

"Forgive me," he murmured into her hair, loud enough so only she heard as something black suddenly appeared around them.

It wrapped around them both tightly and cast a shadow over their heads. The female assassin gasped and seemed to step back, but Sekai hardly paid any attention to the reaction. She clung tightly to Genesis' shirt as the large, dark object stretched out and away from them and they suddenly shot up into the air, high above the two dogs of Wutai's military.

He kept his left hand on her head, almost as though seeking to prevent her from seeing what was happening. She looked down, heart racing, to see the floor moving beneath them at an alarming pace. They were traveling at a strangely high altitude; she sensed they were nearing the top of the mine's cavernous ceiling. She held on to him tightly, but she didn't slip from his embrace.

_What…what's happening? We're…floating? No…flying?_ They sped across the room and landed hardly a moment later. She opened her eyes as Genesis placed her down gently on the far side of the room, several yards away from the assassins and the two corpses of the infantrymen he'd killed first.

She leaned against the rough wall of the cavern, the shoulders of Genesis' trench coat around her elbows and the sleeves trapping her hands. The abrupt movements had caused the overly large garment to slip.

Whatever had propelled them skyward was gone, though a solitary dark black feather floated down and landed in her lap. Much to her alarm, he slumped forward momentarily with a grimace of pain on his face. His forehead rested against her shoulder for hardly more than a second before he took a deep, shaky breath and gently pushed her hands away. He, almost purposefully, avoided her eyes as she looked to the feather in bewilderment.

"Genesis?" she questioned hollowly as he stood up and whipped around, sword at the ready. The remnants of blood dried upon the silver blade maintained a darker shade than that of the metal's natural shade of red.

Her eyes widened as soon as he turned his back to her, for a long, wide wound on his left shoulder bled profusely. The dark red blood stood out against the color of his uniform, immediately revealing the severity of the wound. _Genesis! _She thought, suddenly panic-stricken, though still mildly disoriented. The faint scent of mako in the air didn't help her to focus any faster.

Her first thought was that the woman with the katana must have done it, but the unusual shape of the wound and the width seemed off. The blade of a Wutaian sword was thin; as far as she knew, it wouldn't be able to deal such a wound in one blow.

"Wait!" she interjected, leaning forward but froze when a pang of pain stopped her.

Her hand flew to where the man's dagger had sliced the base of her neck when they fell. It was deeper than the thin line where he'd first pressed the blade. The thick collar of Genesis' coat had been sliced in the process, preventing the wound from being dangerous. Nevertheless, when she lifted her hand away, her fingers were covered in blood.

She then heard the sound of two swords clashing and snapped to attention. The man fighting left-handed looked deathly pale, but stood with katana pressing against Genesis' rapier. She glanced to see what became of the female assassin, but her weapon fell to the floor and she knelt down, clutching her face whispering what sounded like "monster."

_What on Gaia happened…?_ Sekai wondered confusedly, scanning the area for other sings of what occurred. A few other feathers littered the ground and her pistol had apparently been caught in the gust, for it now lay near the bodies of the fallen soldiers. She swallowed and rose to her knees as she picked the feather up.

It was long, elegant, and soft, but haunting. The black color contrasted anything that could be considered as angelic. She couldn't help but let the shadow of fascination distract from the tension of the situation as she looked at it. It was, if anything, indeed from a monster's wing. But where had it come from?

"_Forgive me…_" she quoted softly, only to herself.

Genesis parried an attack from the Wutaian warrior with ease, although his expression was tenser than before. He countered with a well-aimed slash at the man's neck, not bothering to target any of the thick armor that shielded him.

His adversary evaded with a swift step backward, though another few drops of blood fell to the floor from the stump that extended from his shoulder. She winced slightly as she watched, inwardly thinking the battle would be short-lived.

Genesis, still at a notable distance from his enemy, didn't waste a moment before attacking a second time. He lunged forward, rapier held out before him, and slipped the blade between the tiny slit where the shoulder guard met the breastplate. The Wutaian stumbled backward as Genesis retracted his sword.

The man's grip on his sword faltered, but he recovered as he once again dropped to one knee and held his katana above his head in a pitiful guard. Genesis' blade collided with that of his doomed enemy and pushed against it solidly.

The man's arm trembled violently and after his sword lowered a few inches, it fell from his grip and Genesis' blade fell and sliced the side of his neck. Genesis frowned slightly, and never one to intentionally make his opponent suffer too long, stepped back and beheaded the assassin.

Sekai looked away as blood splattered everywhere. Genesis lowered his sword and turned away as the corpse fell forward into a growing puddle of its own blood. A strained sob echoed through the room as the female assassin grabbed her katana.

"Arakawa!" she cried as she scrambled to her feet.

A vertical, though slightly slanted, cut extended from her forehead down to her chin. Her left eye was closed and her face was covered in blood, as were her hands and the shirt of her uniform, but it no longer deterred her. Genesis tensed and held his sword out in a guard, looking tired, as though he'd faced the situation many times.

_Genesis…_she thought sadly, knowing that the battle was far from over. Genesis was injured; he hardly had the upper hand against a barely injured enemy. _All this fighting…it's happening so quickly. How can so many die in such a short period of time? Is it all dependent merely on the strength of opponents…? Is that really it? Is that how Genesis managed to come out on top, four times, just tonight alone?_

Genesis blocked the woman's first attack easily, but evaded the second far less gracefully. He jumped backward and the tip of her blade just barely missed his shoulder. He stumbled when he landed and narrowly ducked a horizontal slash. She was obviously aware of his injury and determined to use it to her advantage.

She clutched the feather tightly in fear as she watched, hands trembling slightly. _He's hurt…the bleeding's only getting worse. She's barely bleeding…I know he's much stronger than he was before, but how long can this fight really wear on before…?_

She shook her head abruptly to dismiss the thought, watching as Genesis counterattacked, delivering a desperate stabbing attack. Sekai grimaced; even without an extensive knowledge of sword fighting techniques, she recognized the attempt to end the fight quickly. The assassin eluded the attack and produced a small knife, much like the first assassin, in her left hand and slashed at him the moment he was off guard, unable to lift his sword in time to block.

He held his left arm up in defense, expecting her to go after his head or neck. She then recoiled, and with an abrupt snap of her wrist shoved the dagger though Genesis' back, directly into the wound. A cold smirk came over her panicked expression as Genesis' eyes widened and he dropped to one knee.

_No!_

His opponent whipped around and raised her blade high above her head, expecting to deal a finishing strike with ease. Genesis rolled out of the way and held his sword up in a sloppy guard. The blades clashed with a horrific, metallic clang. She leaned forward, placing her full weight against the blade. Genesis shifted and straightened, leaning against wall for support. Sekai watched in horror as, though it prevented his adversary from reaching him, the dagger she hadn't bothered to retract poked through the front of his SOLDIER uniform.

Sekai stood, scanning the area for a way - any way - she could possible help. Her mind was whirling, filled with a growing mako haze, and she couldn't conjure clear thoughts. Little more than fear penetrated her frozen head until she spotted the pistol a few yards away. Her heart leapt and she scrambled over to it to grab it off the ground. She heard another clash of metal, but resisted the temptation to look; she just had to get the pistol.

Reno's lessons faintly returned as soon as the cool, metal weapon was in her hands. She checked to make sure it hadn't been damaged before turning around and taking aim. She took an involuntary step backward and leaned against the wall, trying to quell her violently shaking hands as she stared.

Genesis was back on his feet, though he didn't attempt to counterattack. The female assassin's katana moved like a flash of silver in the air, slashing and stabbing with seemingly endless adrenaline-fueled energy. The tip of her blade was dyed red as she slashed vertically at him, successfully inflicting a small cut on his right arm. She stepped forward and caught his knee as well. She held the small weapon with both hands, though her grip tightened on it slightly as a shadow of doubt fell over her.

_They're moving so quickly…should I…should I really shoot? I can't risk hitting Genesis! I've never fired a shot under these conditions…with Reno it was always targets, almost never moving ones…I…haven't ever shot at something alive!_

She watched as the front of Genesis' shirt slowly become blood soaked. She thought back to the injury he'd received when fighting the first assassin, unsure exactly how much blood he'd lost. The statistics of the immediate and imminent effects of blood loss wouldn't come to her; watching him struggle to parry each attack was evidence enough.

_That woman's life is in my hands. _She lifted the pistol up and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. _I…I can't! I'm just a fourteen-year-old girl from a rural village…I can't shoot a person. I've never even shot at a squirrel! I can't…I just can't __**kill**__ someone! Normal people don't take the lives of others… I'm not like __**anyone**__ who's a member of Shin-Ra…not Reno, Angeal, Sephiroth, or…or…Genesis…_

The memories of the two soldiers Sephiroth had effortlessly beheaded and impaled returned to fill her mind's eye. She then opened her eyes to glance at the two dead infantrymen and assassin she'd just seen Genesis murder. He did it so _effortlessly._ He extinguished their lives without a moment's hesitation; simply because he knew he had to.

_"It's not a crime to shoot an enemy in war."_

The assassin ducked behind Genesis and ripped her knife from his back. She grimaced, finger tightening over the trigger. Genesis didn't fall and managed, somehow, to block her next attack. The look of anguish and rage originally reflected on the woman's face had been replaced by a maniac's grin.

_Because…he had to. Because he's a SOLDIER and was ordered to…but…the reason behind that was to protect me. Is that why it came to this? Because he can't fight normally having to worry about me tagging along?_

Genesis slashed his rapier vertically in his adversary's direction, though she jumped backward, not even bothering to raise her weapon in defense. She was mocking his effort. Sekai waited for her to slow and resume fighting.

She still remembered one of the debates she'd had with Genesis when she was little and he first decided to join SOLDIER; her younger self had been upset to think of her friend as a killer. The argument had recurred, but fittingly enough, when Reno had taught her to shoot properly. He'd said almost the exact same things Genesis did, many years before.

"_'The first time's…the hardest','_" she quoted softly.

She aimed the pistol at the back of the woman's head and waited for Genesis to move away from her. The line of fire was clear; it was the perfect chance, she was turned away and blissfully unaware of the fate that was about to befall her. She must have known of the pistol from before, but had no idea her life rested in the hands of someone she'd hardly glanced at.

Sekai Kurayami held her breath and pulled the trigger.

From the moment the ear piercing _crack_ sounded, even the flow of time seemed to stop. Genesis' gaze flew from his opponent to Sekai, eyes suddenly wide. In her last moments of life, the Wutaian woman seemed to move as though to turn around to see who had shot and from where, plans of evasion most likely flooding her mind.

She never had the chance.

The bullet met its target with pinpoint accuracy and the katana dropped from her hands the same moment her knees buckled. The bullet effortlessly passed through her head, killing her instantly. She fell to the cold stone, body completely unmoving, although her eyes remained open. Her body - her _corpse_ - collapsed beside that of her armless fallen comrade with a dull thud.

Neither Genesis nor Sekai spoke, leaving the cavern completely silent. The weapon slipped from Sekai's hands as she dropped to her knees. It clattered against the stone floor loudly, seemingly shattering the stillness. She let out the breath she'd been holding and allowed her eyes to drop closed.

_We're…safe. The enemies are gone…dead…and Genesis is alright._

_I actually did it…I killed someone. A living, breathing person, just like me. Simply because I 'had to.' This really is a war…death is everywhere… It may not be a crime, but it __**is**__ a sin. One that cannot be forgiven by the sinned against…no matter what justification there may be._

_…So why was it so much harder to make the decision rather than pull the trigger?_

She felt a hand settle on her shoulder and looked up to see Genesis kneeling in front of her. She hadn't heard him walk over but met his concerned gaze evenly.

"Are you okay?" he questioned quietly.

Her eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms round his neck thoughtlessly. She didn't notice his slight grimace, though she was careful not to lean against any of his wounds. He gently wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, not bothering to move his left. She listened to his breathing, calm and fairly steady, as a weak sense of peace returned.

It was a familiar sense Banora was, usually, full of; she'd spent the larger portion of her life at peace, yet the few hours that had passed since the attack ensured felt like years if not small eternities.

They once again fell silent and several moments passed before Genesis broke it. "We should get moving. I doubt there will be any more soldiers, but there's no reason to remain here."

"Y-yeah," she replied shakily, pulling away. "It's starting to smell, too."

He reached over to where he'd placed his sword and slipped it back into the scabbard, looking tired.

"Wait," she objected. "You're badly hurt. You can't walk like that."

"I'm fine; the bleeding's almost stopped. I'll wait until we reach the safe house set up at the first dumbapple factory. There'll be an infirmary there."

Sekai frowned, ready to protest further.

He placed a finger over her mouth and continued. "I'm a SOLDIER, remember? Wounds like these can't kill me; mako injections increase endurance, after all."

He stood up shakily, a wince of pain crossing his expression. She jumped to her feet to stand beside him and gently pulled his immobilized left arm around her shoulders. He opened his mouth, about to object, but she cut him off before he had the chance.

"At least let me help," she insisted, not bothering to take the pistol with her. She didn't have to be reminded of it.

"You're too stubborn for your own good," he remarked, leaning against her only slightly.

Their progress through the caverns was slow, but uneventful. No other soldiers attempted to enter the caves and seize the 'sacred boon' they sought. She suggested they stop to rest on several occasions, though he'd refused each time. The moon was high in the sky by the time they reached the exit, though they were greeted by a group of Shin-Ra infantrymen when they neared the ancient stone stairs that lead back to Banora.

Genesis had informed them of the events and causalities against the Wutaian forces, then gave them orders to patrol and guard the mines. She listened, not bothering to interject, as the commander of the platoon congratulated Genesis on his accomplishments and related the events in the town to them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A pale hand clutched the soft, thick material of the plush velvet curtains that covered the window. Her face was void of color and her knees had grown weak as soon as she pulled the curtain ever so slightly aside to peer out to see what all the noise was coming from. The sight that greeted her was not only unnerving, but terrifying.

The peaceful area surrounding Rhapsodos Manor, perched at the top of a high hill, was usually vacant of unrecognizable faces. Banora was just small enough for whoever came to see the landlord and his wife in person to be remembered and named. The most frequent occupants of the expansive yard around the mansion were either Genesis and his friends or the hired help.

Neither of the expected occupants with justified appearances were in sight. Instead, a large group of Wutaian infantrymen carrying firearms and swords at the ready were visible in the distance making their way through the dumbapple grove leading to the house. They lit fire to the Banora White trees along the way, casting flaming torches by the roots. Her heartbeat seemed to accelerate with every step they took closer.

The cool breeze that blew in through the open window carried their voices along with it. Short, clipped commands from deep masculine voices in a language she couldn't understand a word of were just barely discernable. It was and ominous sign of what was inevitably going to come. The unpleasant smell of burning wood followed suit; getting the fire under control wouldn't be terribly difficult, but how long would it take?

_What __**happened**__?_ She wondered frantically, a slightly nauseous feeling magnifying her terror. _Did something deviate from the plan? Surely it is too late for Wutai to have double-crossed us…and the only other Shin-Ra operatives who know this was all merely staged are Director Lazard and Sephiroth. The Director wouldn't do anything to interfere…it would damage the reputation of SOLDIER, no matter what the outcome…_

_…But what about Sephiroth?_

The thought made her shudder. The seemingly heartless First Class SOLDIER had given off a threatening aura as soon as he had set foot in the house earlier that day to be informed of the situation and the role he was to play in it. She'd been present for the meeting; she knew exactly what his orders were. He'd been specifically instructed to ensure Genesis' survival without doing anything to interfere in that of the girl's.

_But why would he go against orders? They came directly from Lazard, there'd be no reason for him to object or defy them… He has no affiliation to that girl, there just isn't any motive for him to intervene! It couldn't have been him…_

The voices of the soldiers were getting closer. She could distantly hear their footsteps, ascending the hill at a run, drawing nearer. She wondered if they were truly close enough for such to be true or if it were merely her imagination running amok, driven by fear. The fires were quickly flaring up to envelop more of the tree trunks and lick at the leaves and unripe dumbapples on the branches.

She watched as it spread from tree to tree and the light that illuminated the enemy procession dwindled, instead engulfing the precious trademarks of Banora. Her hands fell to the windowsill and she dropped to her knees, resting her forehead against the wall. She tried to hold them back, but tears heedlessly slid down her cheeks.

The elegantly applied makeup she masked her age with smudged and ran down her face, though for once, it was the last of her concerns. "Genesis…," she murmured, suppressing a sob. "Please stay safe…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Hikari: -cackle- I can't tell you how much fun I've had writing the last few chapters! I, at long last, am in my element here with ATLB! Angst! Combat! Swordfights! Sacrifice!

Genesis: -backs away slowly-

Zack: O.O Hikari, that grin is very scary…

Final Hikari: -clears throat- Sorry. XD I'm just really happy to be out of the childhood or teenage fluff stages for ATLB. As everyone knows, I fail with children since I think they're all as world-weary as I was, and I fail even more with fluff. So finally getting some angst and fighting is really nice…just because it's my area of experience. XD

Genesis: …That can't be healthy.

Zack: …No wonder you have really twisted nightmares…

Final Hikari: Also, quick explanatory note! In the beginning of the chapter, I hope I didn't make Sekai's reaction too "DUH! Figure it out, stupid!" It's just that, when you look at it rationally, you wouldn't expect your childhood friend to sprout a wing all of a sudden and fly around, you know? XD We gamers are perfectly accustomed to this fact (and have been since 1997 when FFVII came out XD) but it'll also make things more significant later on when he _does_ learn the truth. Second, I know that Sekai seems to sit around watching Genesis do all the fighting an awful lot, but I'm trying to be realistic with her reactions. I don't think she'd jump right to her first kill so easily. Finally, I discussed two potential ways to end this chapter with Devsash and Krynn, but picked neither! T.T Sorry guys…-sweat drop-

Genesis: Lazy.

Final Hikari: I had to get the update out!

Zack: Always with the alibis…

Final Hikari: -.- Sit, boy.


	17. Let Me Sleep

Final Hikari: Holy crap, it must be Ragnarok! I'm updating! I'm sorry for the hellacious delay on this. T.T There's no reason to bore everyone with excuses and crap. But you know, I can't remember for the life of me how old the two of you are in his chapter.

Genesis: Woman, where the hell have you been? -.-

Final Hikari: I've been up and down the East Coast and working three jobs. XD

Genesis: And…?

Final Hikari: …And writing for other fandoms? -sweat drop-

Genesis: Thought so. -.-

Final Hikari: All the fighting in these chapters has gotten tough! Although it was kinda nice emphasizing the good points of your character instead of drawing and picking apart every single bad one like I do in humor genre stuff. XD

Genesis: … -.-

Final Hikari: I gotta wrap things up this chapter! -.- That way I can stay on schedule! 17 will be "By Your Side," 18 will be "Anywhere Will Do," 19 will be "Resolutions," and 20 will be "Midgar." However, the chapter titled "Midgar" might be pushed to 21 and 20 might be "Messages Instead." Depends on how things unfold in "Anywhere Will Do" and "Resolutions." Genesis, disclaim yourself!

Genesis: …Right. Final Hikari doesn't own anything from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

All That's Left Behind

Chapter 16

Let Me Sleep

Reno Sinclair of the Turks frowned slightly, steering the Shin-Ra helicopter downward carefully. The cliffs that cradled Banora Village into a protected valley were a convenient landing area, but the chaotic sight of the town below was less than welcoming. Not that it was anything unusual for the Turks; Wutaian invasions were fairly common, especially along the continent's southern coast.

However, he had been caught off guard by the surprising orders; when warning of an attack from the enemy army was distributed throughout the Shin-Ra network, he hadn't expected that it would be against the town where he got his first job as a bodyguard. The only strange part of the reinforcements was that even Reno wore a serious expression as the violently beating helicopter blades kicked up a nearly opaque cloud of dust as it touched down on land.

Banora wasn't much of a target. It was on the coast, but not in an overly valuable area. It wasn't close to any major naval bases, or military facilities of any sort. The mako export died long ago and all that remained was some oddly colored apples. Though the people of Wutai were known to eat many fruits and vegetables, it wasn't a legitimate reason to invade a small town on the massive Shin-Ra controlled continent.

The entire town was under enemy control; word had been issued that the mayor and his wife - parents of Genesis Rhapsodos - had been taken as hostages in their own home by the ranking officers overseeing the ambush. The death count was undetermined, though the first support group, including General Sephiroth, reported at least ten dead civilians. The majority of the population had been evacuated to the Banora White Juice factory on the outskirts of the town, where a makeshift hospital run by a few Shin-Ra doctors had been set up on the top floor.

The situation was getting progressively worse as the night went on. The last casualty report was nearly four hours old, which probably meant more people had been hurt or killed since then. Several large areas of the dumbapple orchards had been lit on fire; the blaze was being controlled, but it had been set up in flames with a unique type of Firaga materia that engulfed the damp wood regardless of moisture in the trees and soil. Subsequently, it required materia to extinguish it.

The air around the village was turning black from smoke, slowing the speed at which the rest of the reinforcements Shin-Ra deployed could land and take on sub-missions. It would take a frustratingly long amount of time to find a suitable area to land helicopters, and inconveniently, even longer to reach the town itself.

Additionally, there was a rather disconcerting bit of news mentioned in the last part of the report. It had been _very_ brief, but mentioned an unruly female senior citizen who had given a noteworthy amount of trouble to the all-male group of infantrymen, led by a Second Class SOLDIER, assigned to protect the townspeople. Apparently, she tried to hinder their progress by forcing _them_ to come into her home when they were trying to force _her_ to leave. Something about dangerous mold from severely outdated (most likely poisonous) food products was offered to the military soldiers. But due to the situation and since she was a senior, she couldn't be taken into custody.

She was described as, letter for letter, "unarmed but extremely dangerous to virg---the focus of male soldiers." It had been rather entertaining to hear the untimely humor crackling over his headset in contrast to information on the causalities. Though he didn't claim to know said senior citizen - he didn't need his co-workers picking on him for such a trivial thing. It would ruin quite a bit of his cool - or so he firmly believed - persona.

Reno turned all the helicopter's systems off and quickly pulled his door open as Rude and the young female Turk with brownish-gray hair, one of their firearms specialists, followed suit. He slammed the heavy door closed and started at a run toward the rocky pathway leading down into the massive clearing that Banora Village rested at the heart of. He kicked up small clouds dust as he ran, but didn't look back - there was far too much to be done that night to waste time.

* * *

Sekai Kurayami, expression worried and unsettled, hurried to keep pace with Genesis as they walked down the rows of armed Shin-Ra infantrymen toward the tall, imposing factory's entrance. All the soldiers wore helmets that hid their faces and carried heavy looking automatic rifles. They kept extra ammunition and a few small knives on their persons, usually out in the open.

The factory was a massive building containing three floors; first one was divided into several areas for the various steps of production. The middle floor was where the packaging process was completed, and the third contained storage rooms and a few beds for employees who wanted to spend the night. Banora was a walking town and it hadn't been uncommon for workers to sleep at the factory instead of taking the long walk home at dark. However, since it had been converted to a shelter, the entire center area had been emptied of equipment and filled with cots for Banora's many citizens. Since the dumbapples still weren't quite in season, it had been mostly empty for the past few months.

The exterior of the building itself was quite old; it was clear it had weathered many costal storms in the years it had been in use. A few large search lights had been installed on the roof and flooded the area with bright artificial light. It burned Sekai's eyes as she approached, but she didn't let it affect her expression. The gravel crunched beneath their feet as they continued toward the entrance.

Genesis had insisted upon rendezvousing with the rest of the forces walking unaided; his purposeful stride was quick and unwavering, a direct contradiction to his current state. It was an act of pure stubbornness, though she had to admit he did have a point, as it wouldn't have looked very good for him to show up barely able to walk. She was relieved he was capable of such with his injuries, but at the same time felt slightly disoriented.

_Only the First Class SOLDIERs are supposed to undergo mako enhancements…_ She thought worriedly, periodically glancing up at the mako glow of his eyes. She had seen it on the cover of the newspaper; she had known the tinge of emerald in his eyes was being replaced by the cold icy blue of mako. It wasn't standard for members of the Second Class to receive the mako treatment, but he hadn't mentioned it and she hadn't had time to ask about it.

_But this isn't natural at all. Granted, they were talking about giving them to all the SOLDIERs, but it would have been on the news if they had changed that rule._

_ …Right?_

She tired to dismiss the thoughts as they approached the entrance. Two SOLDIERs, one clad in a Third Class uniform and the other in a Second's, stood at the entrance, one of whom she recognized instantly. She smiled slightly when his eyes met her own, relieved to see another of her friends safe. Genesis saluted them both, nodding only briefly to Angeal.

"Second Class SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos reporting," he said flatly, pulling a tattered and bloody ID card from his pocket and handing it to the higher ranking SOLDIER.

"I know who you are," Angeal said, holding up a hand dismissively to show he didn't need to look. "Sekai too; I don't need any identification. Just go directly to the desk in the right corner of the entrance room and submit your name. Then take the elevator up to the top floor where they've set the infirmary up."

"Right. Has the newest report been issued up? Are there any changes?" Genesis questioned as Angeal motioned to the Third Class to open all the locks placed over the double metal doors that served as the entrance.

"There are a few. You can check it out when you get new orders in the morning," he replied, avoiding giving a direct answer to the question as he surveyed his friend's condition. "If they don't put you on the reserve, that is."

The lower ranking SOLDIER finished with the final lock and removed a keycard from the reader mounted on the rusted, old metal and pushed one of the two doors open. The loud scraping sound it created as it rubbed against the frame made their words almost indiscernible as the conversation continued.

"Our parents?" Genesis asked softly, glancing over to the infantrymen behind them.

"They're still alive," Angeal replied, tone uncharacteristically dismissive.

She glanced between the two of them as Genesis' expression became more solemn. The Third Class finished with the locks and saluted them both, waiting for he and Sekai to proceed. Genesis looked away, gaze falling to the small room at the entrance as he started toward the doors.

"'Alive' doesn't mean 'alright'," he said quietly.

Sekai hesitated a moment, glancing up at Angeal before hurriedly following Genesis. His expression was guilty, making her worry. _Did something happen…? Angeal must have been with Gillian during the time of the attack…but Mr. and Mrs. Rhapsodos…_

They reached the desk Angeal had mentioned in the entrance hall within only a few moments. The woman stationed there, wearing a military uniform, only nodded at them briefly as they wrote their names in the ledger. She surveyed Genesis' injuries and pointed at the staircase behind her desk.

"The infirmary is on the third floor."

The trip up the staircase was quiet, for the unpleasant feeling of unrest hung in the air like a slightly suffocating veil. Worry permeated Sekai's thoughts for her own remaining family. Her grandmother, who a few infantrymen swore had been a geisha in the enemy country about fifty years ago, had caused enough trouble to be mentioned in one of the reports. She knew her grandmother was safe, although perhaps facing fines for harassment. Not that it was the first time she faced such charges, of course.

If Genesis had received information on his parents, his expression only showed some indication of it. He looked worried and more preoccupied than before, a definite sign he was keeping something from her. As for what, Sekai reflected, it wasn't too difficult to guess the danger his parents were in. With their status and position of control over the town, it wouldn't have been a surprise if they were taken captive, or worse.

He had only received minimal treatment for his injuries when they reached the exit of the staircase, yet he was still walking unaided. She was glad his injuries weren't nearly as severe as they been for a normal person, but at the same time, she found the situation unnerving. The enhancements he had undergone had changed him greatly, and he hardly seemed aware of it. She seriously doubted Shin-Ra would ever use the word "monster" to describe their SOLDIERs, but it couldn't help but cross her tired mind. They had enough time to make the physical changes gradual, but no amount of traditional training could change the body so vastly that it could handle such injuries so easily.

She was still somewhat lost in her circuitous thoughts when they reached the top floor and Genesis pushed the door to the infirmary open. There were several different rooms tending patients with different levels of injuries. The fairly superficially wounded were being tended in the first room. Nevertheless, there were still a lot of people, mainly men, half naked or stripped to their underwear. There were only a few Shin-Ra nurses, and several volunteers from the town who had medical experience.

The scene wasn't a surprise, but the cheerful voice they heard ring out across the room certainly was.

"I think I just died and went to Heaven's best strip club," a woman with a familiar voice said musically, sounding a little _too_ pleased to be in a makeshift hospital. "I wish I had been an army nurse, these patients are _so_ much better."

The Shin-Ra nurse beside her grimaced and her patient looked afraid. The poor guy was an infantryman and had no idea what to do. The nurse kept glancing over at Mrs. Kurayami, and not because the foreign name was a source of unrest. It was more likely she was concerned with having to treat the man for mental trauma after dealing with the elderly woman.

"Oh God," Sekai squeaked, hiding her face behind her hands.

Genesis' eyes widened at the sound alone. "You can't be serious… It's _her?_"

"It's her."

"That's ridiculous! Why is _she_ tending the wounded?"

Shocked by the all too familiar voice, Genesis had thoughtlessly let the door slam closed behind them. Several people glanced over in their direction, instantly alerted to the entrance of more people. This included an elderly woman in a horrifying tight, red leather miniskirt, electric blue tights, a slightly transparent strapless blouse, and entirely too much makeup, who stood up and instantly abandoned her patient when she saw the twosome.

As wrong as it sounded, Sekai was somewhat glad to see her granny back into wearing the miniskirt. It was still enough to give most people nightmares, but most people hadn't seen what she and Genesis had that afternoon, and a little comic relief was welcome. She firmly blocked out all memory of her grandmother's bikini - especially since she was relatively sure a normal old person's underwear was much more conservative.

_"Sekai!" _her granny yelled, hurrying over at speeds she couldn't help but be surprised at, to hug her granddaughter. "You had me so _worried!_ And you're hurt, too! Where on Gaia were you?"

Before she could start harassing Genesis, a nurse from the next room over in a Shin-Ra uniform came over and beckoned him to follow her. He cast Sekai an apologetic look and shrugged before gladly following the woman. Sekai's grandmother noticed but didn't comment; Sekai recognized her 'I'll get him later' look.

"Looks like someone was using his sword a bit too much," the scantily dressed senior remarked.

"_Grandmother!_" Sekai hissed. "Don't say things like that!"

The Granny blinked so innocently that Sekai swore she could hear angels singing. "Whatever do you mean, dear?" she asked in a cheerfully evil tone that sent a fearful shudder rippling through the men in the room. Without waiting for a reply, the Granny grabbed Sekai's arm and led her over to the nearest cot, which was currently occupied by a rapidly paling Shin-Ra infantryman.

The Granny leered down at him menacingly. "Move darling," she purred, leaning over so that the terrified young man got a horrific eyeful of whatever she kept inside her shirt. "Or I'll do it for you."

The cot was vacant before Sekai could even begin to wonder what kind of man her grandfather must've been to voluntarily marry this woman. Her granny shoved her onto the cot, then plucked a bottle of disinfectant and towels from a nearby nurse. Ignoring the nurse's expression of outrage, she started dabbing at the cut on Sekai's neck. Sekai cringed, but her grandmother's touch was surprisingly gentle.

"Dumb girl," her granny snapped suddenly, her voice uncharacteristically somber. She wiped some more crusted blood off Sekai's shoulder as she continued her outburst. "You should know better. Just because you're always following him around-" and with the less than subtle hint, she jabbed Sekai in the back in emphasis- "doesn't mean you need to get yourself killed."

Sekai blinked, startled at this strange display of concern.

"What in the world are you talking about," she demanded.

The Granny rolled her eyes as she began wrapping a bandage around Sekai's wound. "Oh, please," she said, "I may be over thirty years old, but I can see as well as anybody."

Sekai snorted in response, wincing a little as her grandmother's hands jerked the bandage tightly. "See what?" she countered.

The Granny gave her a look. "I was young once too, you know," she said in a softer tone. "Besides, I have an obligation and duty to keep you safe, young lady," she continued firmly. "And you're not making it easy, you dratted teenager." And with that said, she tied the bandage into a secure knot, then cuffed her granddaughter lightly on the head. "Come on, let's go see how your hunk-er, man, is doing..."

* * *

Genesis screwed his expression into one of horror and disgust before wiping it blank and turning his head around. Sekai stood at the foot of his cot, watching nervously as the Shin-Ra nurse stitched up the gash on his torso. Her grandmother – _that woman_ – was not too far behind, sprawled against the wall in what she clearly thought was a seductive pose. He shuddered before turning his attention back to Sekai.

"You-" he cleared his throat, "you're okay?"

She nodded perfunctorily, but didn't respond. Her unmoving stare was beginning to unnerve him.

"What?" he asked, a little defensively.

"I'll tell you what," the Granny piped up. He gave her a 'begone evil one!' look, but she ignored it and cheerfully said, "You should put on a shirt, hot stuff, before I have to sit my granddaughter down and give her The Talk."

Genesis squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore how both he and Sekai had turned a bright fire-engine red.

"Grandma," he heard Sekai hiss. "Stop it. Please."

She snickered, but desisted.

"Is it safe?" he asked dully, not quite ready to open his eyes yet.

"It's safe," Sekai told him, equally dully.

He opened his eyes and saw that she had now seated herself timidly on the cot's corner. An awkward silence descended, and he tried to think of something to say, if only to distract himself from the needle the nurse was still poking through his skin. But, he thought with a slight sense of loss, he didn't really know how to talk to Sekai anymore. Anything he wanted to say felt awkward and distant, so he lapsed into silence and avoided Sekai's eyes.

After a few moments, the Granny spoke again, apparently unable to take the overwhelming silence.

"You know, I used to be a nurse," she said musingly, looking around at the men in various stages of treatment. "Wish I'd majored in field nursing, though."

Genesis snorted, unable to help himself. "Who in their right mind gave you a nursing licensure? How many unfortunate souls have you condemned?" he exclaimed, cringing a little as his nurse finished the stitches and began bandaging him up.

The Granny gave a haughty sniff. "Oh, honey, don't you know life's so much easier when you look like this?" she swept her hand in a grand gesture, modeling her latest look. "That nursing degree was easier than my professors to get." Behind her back, a few soldiers gagged. Genesis wasn't certain whether they were faking or not.

Sekai gave her grandmother an odd look. "Sometimes, grandma," she muttered, "I wonder how you ever got married."

"Oh, didn't I tell you, dear?" she replied. "Your grandfather was my Anatomy professor in high school." She snickered frighteningly. "Good times, those were. To be honest, though, I would've married those male models instead if they weren't plastic."

"Alright," Genesis said abruptly. "I've heard enough. Let's go." He stood up and pushed the nurse away, who looked too nauseous to protest.

* * *

Genesis adjusted the collar of his shirt and shook his head as they left the infirmary. "That woman…I still can't believe she was a nurse."

"She worked in Wutai then moved to Midgar when I was born," Sekai volunteered. "She quit to come to Banora and take care of me."

He looked at her, a bit strangely. "Wasn't that kind of old to still be working?"

She shrugged in response. "You've seen her stamina," she said off-handedly, mentally kicking herself and her heritage when she accidentally made him cringe at the terminology. "Uh, well, you know what I mean. She's got a lot of energy for her age. Her pension is really good, but I guess that's kinda obvious with the red leather and all…"

"Right…anyway, the elevators are back on," he said, pointing a few doors up the hallway. "We'll take that down instead of the stairs."

"Sure," she agreed with a nod.

_This feels so strange…I remember coming to this place as a kid on a field trip, but I never thought I'd come back on such grim pretenses._

They both fell silent as they walked down the hall to the elevator. Although her grandmother had, as usual, managed to lighten the mood, the feeling of unease was already returning. She hadn't been the only civilian treated for minor injuries; there were numerous familiar faces in the room. Even though she didn't know every person's name, she'd seen each of them at some point in the small town.

_How wrong this is…I barely know what to say. Even in my most unrealistic nightmares, I never thought Banora would be attacked._

Her only family member was safe, but it was clear the same couldn't be said for Genesis and Angeal. Their conversation outside the factory was still weighing on her mind, and the look of determination on his expression had her worried. He looked like he was planning something, and whatever it was, it was most likely reckless. SOLDIER or not, turning around and leaving for another mission would be dangerous.

_I suppose it was lucky for me that he was here…he most likely wouldn't have been sent in if we were attacked any other time. It's eerily coincidental…almost like a set up._

_ Goodness, what am I thinking? This isn't the time for conspiracy theories… It __**does**__ seem a bit too perfect for Shin-Ra, but that's just prosperous. Who would sacrifice the innocent lives of civilians for no reason…?_

They waited in silence for the elevator to arrive as she contemplated how to ask.

_"'Alive' doesn't mean 'alright'."_

The memory of his cold words returned as the old elevator doors slid open.

"Genesis…did you hear something about your parents earlier?" she asked, a bit timidly, as they stepped inside the empty elevator cab. "That nurse updated you on the situation, right?"

He glanced up and analyzed her expression, looking somewhat surprised by the direct question. "Well…I suppose lying wouldn't do me any good, eh? Do you really want to know?"

"What happened?"

"The Wutaian forces captured hostages in two locations," Genesis began, his expression becoming serious. "They made a stronghold in the town of civilians, all captured and confined in one residential house. The Hewley household is the site, and Gillian is among the hostages. The second location shouldn't come as much of a surprise, since it's at Rhapsodos Manor. The enemy commander has my parents held hostage and most of the staff either captured or killed. The combat is mostly at a temporary truce, since they're trying to bargain with Shin-Ra for ransom. It isn't the most original tactic; they're trying to organize negotiations and spread their forces before conducting a rescue mission."

"Why would they take civilians?" Sekai questioned, feeling sick. "That's despicable, do they really have to fight like that?"

A cold smirk pulled at the Second Class SOLDIER's lips. "Actually, that's pretty humane. They won't be killing them until morning if we don't meet their demands. It's Shin-Ra policy to sacrifice all hostages in order to eradicate the enemy unless said prisoners are company elite. They're doing us a favor by calling in Sephiroth and the Turks for a recovery mission."

_The Turks…Reno…_

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her gaze falling to the floor. "If you'd gone home sooner, none of that would have happened…"

"Hey, don't start with all that," he said placing his hand on her shoulder and managing a small, reassuring smile. "I wouldn't have been ready anyway and they sent half their assassins to kill anyone who put up a fight. It was probably good luck for me to have stayed. I'm on the reserve now anyway, so you don't have to worry."

She looked up to meet his eyes, but before anything more could be said, the elevator stopped abruptly on the second floor. She hadn't expected the sudden jolt and stumbled forward as the rickety old doors slid open. Genesis reached out and placed his other hand on her shoulder to steady her, creating a rather awkward image for the young nurse to walk in on. She seemed to be at least half Wutaian by her dark hair and salted eyes, looking surprised at what she saw. Sekai blushed, quickly pulling away to lean against the back wall.

Her uniform was perfectly clean, perhaps unusually so, and her demeanor was rather sunny for the moody situation. The briefcase she carried didn't resemble any of the supply bags her coworkers kept with them, but as the hospital was assembled so quickly, it didn't stand out as particularly unusual.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" the young woman asked a bit nervously, shifting the briefcase she carried to her left hand. The object seemed a bit unusual for a nurse, but they hardly noticed.

"Uh, no," Genesis replied simply.

_Like there's anything else to say…_

* * *

The Wutaian woman nodded politely and stepped inside, pressing her button on the metal panel before standing at the corner by the door. Her act was flawless, and it was only better she'd interrupted them. They were less likely to observe her, or ask any questions. Neither the Second Class SOLDIER or the young girl at his side spoke with the presence of another person in the elevator, and rode in silence for a few moments as she silently studied them, chancing only a few sporadic glances to prevent suspicion.

_Genesis Rhapsodos. The reports all match, so this girl must be Sekai Kurayami. They didn't have a picture of her but the latest report said they were still together. The first two attempts to kill her failed. I don't understand why the general instructed us to kill her and not him, but orders are orders… I'd kill him as well, but the general wants him alive. I mustn't begrudge the general's desire to take credit for killing a SOLDIER._

_ Still, even if her blood is deluded with the scum of this country and her heritage can no longer be seen, she still bears a name of our people. She must have some affiliation with Shin-Ra if she's our target. Perhaps the daughter of a traitor._

_ …Ah, why am I even wondering?_

_ Orders are orders; _she reminded herself a second time,_ it isn't going to matter in a few moments anyway. This is, after all, a suicide mission…_

_ After the report from the mine, there will be no surviving this…_

Right on cue, the lights in the elevator went dead and it stopped moving. The halt wasn't quite as abrupt as the first time, though just as unexpected.

"What the…?" Sekai murmured in surprise.

"Jeez, how screwy is the wiring in this place?" Genesis grumbled. "I know it's been closed for a few months, but this is ridiculous…"

The Wutaian woman reached into her pocket and drew a small weapon from within, the cold metal feeling heavy in her hands. It would very soon carry the weight of two lives; both her target's, and, subsequently her own.

_Such an honor it is to act as an assassin…_

_The general said her death was one of our goals in the mission…Arakawa failed, and so this is now my job._

"Is this what was happening earlier?" Sekai questioned, though the simple conversation sounded forced.

_This is an honor for a plain soldier._

"Yeah, so they said," he replied. "They'll probably realized it stopped in a few minutes…I don't think I have my phone to report it."

_I can die for my country, accomplishing a vital goal to victory in the occupation of this town._

"Why not ask that woman…?" Sekai suggested quietly.

_It'll be out first captured territory on this forsaken country; and I shall contribute to it, more than any of my counterparts!_

'That woman' tapped a button on the side of her glasses and squinted in the darkness as the device's secondary purpose activated. The blurry heat signals from the two other occupants in the pitch dark compartment appeared within a few moments. She took a step forward, her high heeled shoes clicking against the metal floor as she did. She lifted the weapon and took aim, pointing the barrel of the tiny pistol at the young girl's chest.

_This is…for Wutai. And this is for Gaia._

* * *

A soft click penetrated the silence, so quiet it went unnoticed by Sekai. Fortunately for her, the same couldn't be said for Genesis; the telltale sound was painfully memorable. He reacted before he thought, wrapping an arm around Sekai's waist and covering her mouth with his free hand as he hurriedly pushed her to the floor. She gasped, giving away the movement. The loud _crack_ of a bullet shooting across the confined space shattered the quiet as they landed on the metal floor painfully.

Sekai felt the air knocked out of her lungs and instantly grimaced. Genesis was back on his feet and halfway across the elevator by the time she looked up. Another deafening gunshot sounded, echoing ominously throughout the small metal cab. She heard a forceful thud and scrambled to reach in her pocket for her cell phone. She heard a feminine voice curse as the gun knocked from the woman's hand and clattered to the floor. She heard Genesis kick it aside, out of the assassin's reach.

It happened so suddenly it was difficult to follow in just a few seconds, but even more difficult to take in. She flipped the small device open with shaking hands, and the dim light was just bright enough for her to see by. On the side of the cab, Genesis had the Wutaian woman's hands pulled behind her back. She was shoved against the wall and winced in pain as the lights in the elevator came back on.

_This is how he lives…_

Sekai stared numbly as the woman tried in vain to struggle against his grip on her wrists.

_This is normal, isn't it? Danger after danger, even in a place that's supposed to be a sanctuary…_

Still unaffected by the gravity of the situation, she glanced over to her right as the elevator lurched back into motion. The pistol the assassin had shot at them with just a moment before was only a few feet away. The situation felt familiar, almost like protocol. She reached out, only a bit hesitant to grab the weapon. As soon as the cold metal was in her hand and her finger over the trigger, a morbid sense of security settled over her. She didn't like the feeling, but felt as though it was going to become very familiar.

It only took a few moments for them to reach the first floor, but it left ample time for her to raise the pistol and take aim at the woman. The thought crossed her mind to shoot, as she had a clear line of fire at the woman's heart. There was little reason not to - it wasn't a crime to kill an enemy in war, especially when said enemy had fired the first shots. In fact, it probably would have saved a lot of time and energy to just pull the trigger right then and there. Not to mention save the woman fighting for her country a great deal of torture by the hands of Shin-Ra in Midgar; it would almost be an act of mercy.

_I've…I've already taken someone's life tonight. And Genesis' hands are drenched in blood. Would it be better just to…?_

Before she had time to ponder the situation further, the elevator reached the first floor and the doors slid open. Having been alerted by the sound of gunshots, several infantrymen with their weapons ready stood waiting in the doorway. They hurried inside wordlessly before she had time to react, their machine guns and rifles pointed at the Wutaian woman as soon as they realized what was happening. Genesis released her and backed away, leaving the soldiers to do the rest.

"She infiltrated our forces to make an assassination attempt," Genesis explained flatly, his voice darkly monotonous. "Apprehend her and store her with the rest of the soldiers we've captured; follow company procedure from there. We'll transfer them to Midgar for further interrogation after the battle."

"Yes, sir," the soldiers all said in perfect unison.

He turned to Sekai, his eyes landing on the weapon only briefly. He reached out to help her up, expression impassive. "Are you alright? I'm sorry to have been rough, but there wasn't much reaction time."

"I-it's fine," she stammered, lowering the weapon and taking his hand. He pulled her to her unsteady feet. "What about this?" she questioned, lifting up the pistol.

"You can keep it with you tonight if you don't want to be unarmed. There isn't any need for evidence where she's going."

"What are they going to do with her?" Sekai asked hollowly, holding on to his hand as he guided her out.

He paused for a moment before he replied. "Capture, transport to the prison beneath the Shin-Ra building, interrogation, torture if need be, then execution; standard company procedure."

* * *

Final Hikari: Um…I have issues. XD Only a few odd people can go from talking about invasion, arson, death counts, then switch to a perverted grandmother. XD Not to mention the theme here is getting pretty morbid; very serious, very violent.

Genesis: -deadpan- This chapter switched mood too much.

Final Hikari: Well, that's what happens when two authors write one chapter. XD

Genesis: That's a horrible excuse!

Final Hikari: My enemies in this section must have though I was dead. :O Ah well, livin' well's the best revenge.

Genesis: What sort of gibberish are you babbling? And your readers probably thought the same thing. -.-

Final Hikari: Thanks go to the great Dr. Meh for editing this chapter, and writing the granny scenes! I nearly died laughing when she sent the chapter back to me with some of those lines…XD But as a note, I did write the reference to her in the first scene. Three guesses what 'virg-' is. XD


End file.
